Habitat Selection by the Queens of to Field‐Dwelling Species of Ants

Abstract

The movements of queens of Lasius neoniger and Solenopsis molesta were followed visually during nuptial flights and with the aid of radioactive tracers after the flights. The queens of both species controlled their own direction during the flights, keeping to the preferred major habitat (moved field) with nearly perfect efficiency. When dealated queens of L. neoniger were experimentally displaced after the flights to woodland they exhibited a higher frequency of negative geotaxis but were very inefficient at moving out of this unfavorable environment. Displaced S. molesta queens showed no behavior different from that in the favorable habitat and hence were completely inefficient at further macrohabitat selection. On the other hand, queens of both species choose the microhabitats (the points at which the first nests are excavated) after the flights.