Myrmecol. News 10: 27-28 supplement; printable
- Open Access: CC BY 4.0
- Journal: Myrmecological News
- Publisher: The Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics
- ISSN: Print: 1994-4136 - Online: 1997-3500
Myrmecol. News 10: 27-28; printable
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.25849/myrmecol.news_010:027
- Open Access: CC BY 4.0
- Year: 2007
- Title: Cooperative self-defence: Matabele ants (Pachycondyla analis) against African driver ants (Dorylus sp.; Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
- Journal: Myrmecological News
- Volume: 10
- Pages: 27-28
- Type of contribution: Original Article
- Supplementary material: Yes
- Abstract: Only few documented cases of cooperative self-defence outside the nest are known in social insects. We report observations of Pachycondyla analis (Latreille, 1802) workers helping each other against attacking epigaeic driver ants (Dorylus sp.) in a West African savannah. The considerably larger P. analis scanned each other's legs and antennae and removed Dorylus clinging to their extremities. In experimentally staged encounters we could reproduce this behaviour.
- Key words: Altruism, interspecific interaction, Ivory Coast, social insects.
- Publisher: The Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics
- ISSN: Print: 1994-4136 - Online: 1997-3500