Monomorium santschii
Appearance
Monomorium santschii | |
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Species: | M. santschii
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Binomial name | |
Monomorium santschii (Forel, 1905)
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Synonyms | |
Wheeleriella adulatrix Santschi, 1913 |
Monomorium santschii is a species of ant that is native to Tunisia. The most famous species in the genus Monomorium is the highly invasive pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis.
It is a parasitic ant that has no worker caste. The queen enters the colony of a different species and, probably by employing a pheromone, she forces the host workers to kill their queen. She then uses these workers as slaves to bring up her own offspring.
References
- Social Insects Specialist Group (1996). "Monomorium santschii". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996. IUCN: e.T13715A4354217. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T13715A4354217.en. Retrieved 9 January 2018. Listed as Vulnerable (VU D2 v2.3)