Myrmecia inquilina is a species of ant endemic to Australia in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, first discovered in 1955 and described by Athol Douglas and William Brown Jr. in 1959. These ants are large, measuring 21.4 millimetres (0.84 in). During the time of its discovery, Douglas and Brown announced M. inquilina as the first social parasite among the primitive subfamilies, and today it is one of the two known Myrmecia species to have no worker caste. Two host species are known, Myrmecia nigriceps and Myrmecia vindex. Aggression between M. inquilina and its host species does not occur, and colonies may only produce M. inquilina brood months after the inquiline queens begin to lay their eggs. Queens eat the colony brood or trophic eggs, and other Myrmecia species may kill M. inquilina queens if they reject them. Due to its restricted distribution and threats to its habitat, the ant is "vulnerable" according to the IUCN Red List.
^Social Insects Specialist Group (1996). "Myrmecia inquilina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T14216A4424291. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T14216A4424291.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
Myrmeciainquilina is a species of ant endemic to Australia in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, first discovered in 1955 and described by Athol Douglas and William...
ants. Colonies are also a host for M. inquilina, a social parasite that lays its eggs inside the colony. Myrmecia nigriceps is an extremely aggressive...
pp. 49–51. Clark 1951, p. 109. Douglas, A.; Brown, W. L. (1959). "Myrmeciainquilina new species: The first parasite among the lower ants" (PDF). Insectes...
Myrmecia regularis is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus Myrmecia in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, it was first described by American...
Global Information
