Population and Nesting Behaviour of Weaver Ants, Oecophylla smaragdina from Meghalaya, India

Jonata Savio A Sangma,Surya Bali Prasad

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v68i4.7204

Abstract

Weaver ants are known for their unique nest-building skills using leaves and larval-silk as a binding agent. The weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina are present in large numbers in the Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya. Ri-Bhoi district is a hot and humid place with 22 -30°C. This is the first study from this region to examine the nesting behavior along with the population of these ants from here. It was noted that they build nests in different types of trees but it is more abundant in needlewood trees (Schima wallichi) locally known as ‘diengngan.’ From the central trunk of the S. wallichi tree, the nearest distance of the nest is about 0.7 m and the farthest up to 3.4 m. The nests of O. smaragdina are somewhat round-oval and use leaves of different sizes ranging from 8-32 cm2. The nests are made at a height ranging from 4-25 m and their average nest size is about 9,483 cm3. They utilize about twenty leaves with a specific number of chambers to keep their broods, the queen, and food. The number of worker ants, pupae, and larvae are variable in different nests because of nest size, location/height of the nests, and the trees. When the nest population increases, they locate a new spot and build a satellite nest where they get the right amount of sunlight and shelter from predators and adverse environmental factors. These weaver ants are also used as medicine, food and fish bait by the indigenous people in Meghalaya.

Highlights

Weaver ants (Oecophylla sp.) are arboreal, eusocial insects (Family: Formicidae; Order: Hymenoptera)
The analysis shows that the population of O. smaragdina, the number of leaves utilized, and the number of chambers contribute as essential factors for nest building (Fig 4)
The elucidation of the population dynamics and nesting details of O. smaragdina in a particular region should have a direct beneficial impact as these ants have been used as bio-control agents in agricultural pest management (Peng & Christian, 2005; Offenberg et al, 2013), food and traditional medicines (Jena et al, 2020)

Summary

Introduction

Weaver ants (Oecophylla sp.) are arboreal, eusocial insects (Family: Formicidae; Order: Hymenoptera). They play a significant role in pest management, food, and medicines (Itterbeeck et al, 2014). Weaver ants exhibit a unique strategy of nest building on the tree using the leaves for nest construction. The mated O. smaragdina queen starts its colony by laying the first batch of about 35 eggs underneath tree leaves and taking care of the eggs until they hatch into worker ants (Lokkers, 1990). The function of the minor workers is mostly to feed the queen and primary workers in attending the broods, rearing, and milking honeydew from the scale insects. The significant workers function as soldiers, hunters, and nest builders (Holldobler, 1983)

Methods

Results

Conclusion