31:
121:
57:, containing many egg-laying females (queens or gynes). Workers and queens from different nests within the same supercolony can freely move among the nests, and all workers cooperate indiscriminately with each other in collecting food and care of the brood, and show no apparent mutual aggressive behavior.
133:
is the common characteristic of ants to show all colonies being aggressive to each other, including different colonies of the same species. A supercolony would be a large aggregation of nests of a species that normally would exhibit multicoloniality, but in the case of a supercolony has all workers
128:
Initially, it was hypothesized that unicoloniality is a characteristic of certain ant species in which all workers of that species are amicable, whatever their nest of origin. So, all members of the species would accept each other, irrespective of the nest of origin and irrespective of the distance
94:
and harmful in the non-native environments. While not all supercolonial species are invasive and not all invasive ants are dominant, supercolonies are usually associated with invasive populations. Some invasive species are known to form supercolonies in their native habitat as well. In their native
600:
lives in its natural habitat in small colonies. Invaded in urban areas, it exhibits extreme polygyny and polydomy and becomes a dominant invasive pest. Dependent on the season, the number of nests in the colony may alternately fuse into one or a few in winter and grow from spring, to reach maximum
60:
As long as suitable unoccupied space with sufficient resources is available, supercolonies expand continuously through budding, as queens together with some workers migrate over short distances and establish a new connected nest. The supercolony can also expand over long distances through
149:
also forms supercolonies that are aggressive to each other, so unicoloniality turned out to be limited. They hypothesized that the difference between supercoloniality and unicoloniality is not clear-cut, but that they are rather points on a continuum between two extremes:
95:
range, relatively small supercolonies are observed, whereas they are much larger, dominant and a threat for ecological diversity in their invasive range. Exceptions of species that form supercolonies without being invasive are mainly found in the genus
216:, Canada are described in 2012. They can cover tens of kilometers, number hundreds of thousands or millions of individuals and show lack of intercolony aggression. Especially in urban habitats they form area-wide supercolonies.
61:
jump-dispersal, potentially ranging between continents. Jump-dispersal usually occurs unintentionally through human-mediated transport. A striking example of an ant species forming supercolonies across continents is the
870:
601:
nest density in summer. Their early-season population growth is exponentially. In general, T. sessile colonies move on a regular basis. They establish trails between nest and food resources, and to colonise new areas.
169:
Supercolony: A colony that contains such a large number of nests that direct cooperative interactions are impossible between individuals in distant nests. There are no behavioral boundaries (aggression) within the
902:"The supercolony of T. sessile occupied a total of 90 different nesting sites Tapinoma sessile may be highly polygynous, polydomous, and can attain enormous population sizes, much like the invasive L. humile."
820:
181:
stem from the ecological conditions in the introduced range that allow to dramatically extend the dimension of supercolonies, rather than from a shift in social organization in the invaded habitat.
876:
788:
716:
722:
641:
897:
853:
839:
762:
Tatiana Giraud, Jes S. Pedersen, en
Laurent Keller, 2002. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99: 6075-6079 (doi:10.1073/pnas.092694199).
757:
189:
Although supercolonies are mainly observed in relatively few ant species, similar unicolonial populations are also found in some species of the
142:), forming megacolonies of spatially separate nests, was thought to be a perfect example of unicoloniality, never exhibiting multicoloniality.
102:
Although supercolonies are mainly observed in relatively few ant species, similar unicolonial populations are also found in some species of the
87:, thus using three primary modes of dispersal. Out of some 14,000 described ant species, supercolonialism is found in less than 1% of all ants.
30:
173:
Unicolonial: A unicolonial species is one that can form supercolonies. A unicolonial population consists of one or several supercolonies.
872:
Four species within the supercolonial ants of the
Tapinoma nigerrimum complex revealed by integrative taxonomy (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
690:
Supercolonies of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): ecological patterns, behavioural processes and their implications for social evolution.
49:, consisting of a high number of spatially separated but socially connected nests of a single ant species (meaning that the colony is
554:
on
Hokkaido, Japan comprise estimated more than 45,000 nests, more than 300,000,000 workers and more than 1,000,000 queens.
206:
was observed, covering about seven hectares, similar to an ant supercolony. Invasive unicolonial metapopulations of
793:
Laurianne
Leniaud et al., Bull. of Entomol. Res., Vol 99, Issue 1, 2008 (full text). doi:10.1017/S0007485308006032
704:
Patterns of spread in biological invasions dominated by long-distance jump dispersal: Insights from argentine ants
547:, consisting of more than 200 nests and an estimated population of 56 million individuals was described in 1997.
357:
774:
923:
416:
208:
646:. D.M. Sorger et al.; Insectes Sociaux no. 64, issue 1, Feb 2017 (full text). doi:10.1007/s00040-016-0524-9
400:
311:
522:
508:
386:
230:
409:
693:
Heikki
Helanterä, Myrmecol. News 32: 1-22, 2022. doi:10.25849/myrmecol.news_032:001 (open access, CC-BY)
454:
282:
70:
779:
JS Pedersen et al., Evolution Vol 60, Issue 4, 2006 (full text). doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2006.tb01156.x
576:
478:
318:
130:
570:
501:
471:
378:
364:
335:
588:
446:
430:
393:
304:
79:
790:
Unicoloniality in
Reticulitermes urbis: A novel feature in a potentially invasive termite species.
539:
515:
438:
327:
259:
745:"We defined a supercolony as a group of nests among which intraspecific aggression was absent."
707:. Andrew V. Suarez, David A. Holway, Ted J. Case, 2001 (full text); doi:10.1073/pnas.98.3.1095
273:
266:
245:
807:
Scaduto et al., Environl
Entomol., Vol 41, Issue 6, 2012 (full article). doi:10.1603/EN12158
596:
492:
423:
349:
290:
165:
Therefore, Pedersen et al. (2006) redefined supercoloniality and unicoloniality as follows:
91:
688:
655:
643:
Outnumbered: a new dominant ant species with genetically diverse supercolonies in
Ethiopia
582:
485:
252:
893:
Seasonal polydomy in a polygynous supercolony of the odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile.
804:
Genetic
Evidence for Multiple Invasions of the Eastern Subterranean Termite Into Canada.
592:
is monodomous to moderately polydomous, multicolonial, and supercoloniality is unknown.
802:
763:
702:
195:
108:
896:
Grzegorz
Buczkowski and Gary Bennett, Ecological Entomology vol 33 issue 6, Dec 2008;
738:
918:
912:
342:
135:
84:
62:
53:), spread over a large area without territorial borders. Supercolonies are typically
371:
891:
50:
46:
855:
The Guianese population of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima is unicolonial.
776:
Native supercolonies of unrelated individuals in the invasive Argentine ant.
297:
154:
with all colonies generally being aggressive to each other, contrasted with
841:
Nasty little yellow ant establishes first U.S. colonies in Fort Lauderdale.
17:
464:
620:
224:
Species known to form supercolonies are: (see also the list on AntWiki)
657:
Success of Introduced Argentine Ants Tied to Reduced Genetic Variation.
238:
213:
190:
103:
544:
759:
Evolution of supercolonies: The Argentine ants of southern Europe.
119:
35:
866:
864:
740:
Reduced genetic variation and the success of an invasive species.
134:
from all connected nests being non-aggressive to each other. The
826:
Forel (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) from the Blue Mountains of Oregon
120:
54:
637:
635:
633:
631:
158:
with absolute absence of aggression between colonies, and
202:
In France, a supercolony of the invasive termite species
858:
Lenoir et al., Insect Science vol 23 issue 5, May 2015.
616:
614:
177:
They suggest that the success of invasive ants such as
830:
Northwest Science vol 71 issue 1, Feb 1997 (full-text)
844:
David Fleshler, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov 2017 (archived)
887:
885:
875:Seifert et al., Myrmecological News, March 2017.
718:A risk analysis for fire ants in the Netherlands.
684:
682:
680:
678:
676:
674:
672:
670:
668:
666:
660:Kim McDonald, University of California, May 2000
145:Giraud et al. (2002), however, discovered that
815:
813:
734:
732:
730:
753:
751:
564:Three of the four species identified in the `
90:In general, ants that form supercolonies are
8:
743:Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA no. 97, May 2000
29:
610:
819:J. McIver, T. Torgersen and N. Cimon.
116:Unicoloniality versus supercoloniality
568:complex´ are known as supercolonial:
7:
450:(black imported fire ant, or BIFA)
25:
822:A supercolony of the thatch ant
442:(red imported fire ant, or RIFA)
129:between the nests. In contrast,
721:Jinze Noordijk, EIS, Nov 2010.
27:Exceptionally large ant colony
1:
625:AntWiki (July 2022 accessed)
550:The Ishikari supercolony of
69:). The also highly invasive
940:
45:is an exceptionally large
185:Supercolonies in termites
83:additionally use classic
358:Paratrechina longicornis
898:Summary on Researchgate
209:Reticulitermes flavipes
162:somewhere in between.
34:Large anthill in South
523:Wasmannia auropunctata
417:Pseudomyrmex veneficus
231:Anoplolepis gracilipes
125:
38:
455:Solenopsis saevissima
401:Plagiolepis schmitzii
312:Lepisiota frauenfeldi
283:Iridomyrmex purpureus
123:
71:red imported fire ant
33:
509:Tetramorium alpestre
502:Technomyrmex albipes
387:Plagiolepis invadens
379:Plagiolepis alluaudi
365:Pheidole megacephala
336:Monomorium pharaonis
204:Reticulitermes urbis
589:Tapinoma nigerrimum
566:Tapinoma nigerrimum
543:in the US state of
447:Solenopsis richteri
434:(tropical fire ant)
431:Solenopsis geminata
410:Polyrhachis robsoni
394:Plagiolepis pygmaea
382:(little yellow ant)
305:Lepisiota canescens
124:Large trail of ants
80:Solenopsis geminata
824:Formica obscuripes
540:Formica obscuripes
516:Vollenhovia emeryi
439:Solenopsis invicta
328:Linepithema humile
260:Formica obscuripes
234:(yellow crazy ant)
140:Linepithema humile
126:
75:Solenopsis invicta
67:Linepithema humile
39:
552:Formica yessensis
537:A supercolony of
479:Tapinoma ibericum
353:(tawny crazy ant)
274:Formica yessensis
267:Formica polyctena
246:Formica aquilonia
16:(Redirected from
931:
903:
889:
880:
868:
859:
851:
845:
837:
831:
817:
808:
800:
794:
786:
780:
772:
766:
755:
746:
736:
725:
714:
708:
700:
694:
686:
661:
653:
647:
639:
626:
618:
597:Tapinoma sessile
493:Tapinoma sessile
350:Nylanderia fulva
319:Lepisiota incisa
291:Lasius neglectus
160:supercoloniality
152:multicoloniality
131:multicoloniality
21:
939:
938:
934:
933:
932:
930:
929:
928:
909:
908:
907:
906:
901:
890:
883:
869:
862:
852:
848:
838:
834:
818:
811:
801:
797:
787:
783:
773:
769:
756:
749:
744:
737:
728:
715:
711:
701:
697:
687:
664:
654:
650:
640:
629:
619:
612:
607:
562:
535:
528:
486:Tapinoma magnum
472:Tapinoma darioi
458:(pest fire ant)
331:(Argentine ant)
253:Formica exsecta
222:
187:
118:
43:ant supercolony
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
937:
935:
927:
926:
924:Superorganisms
921:
911:
910:
905:
904:
881:
860:
846:
832:
809:
795:
781:
767:
747:
726:
709:
695:
662:
648:
627:
622:Supercolonies.
609:
608:
606:
603:
561:
556:
534:
529:
527:
526:
519:
512:
505:
498:
497:
496:
489:
482:
475:
461:
460:
459:
451:
443:
435:
420:
413:
406:
405:
404:
397:
390:
383:
368:
361:
354:
346:
339:
332:
324:
323:
322:
315:
308:
294:
287:
279:
278:
277:
270:
263:
256:
249:
235:
226:
221:
218:
196:Reticulitermes
186:
183:
175:
174:
171:
156:unicoloniality
117:
114:
109:Reticulitermes
85:mating flights
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
936:
925:
922:
920:
917:
916:
914:
899:
895:
894:
888:
886:
882:
879:(7,2 MB)
878:
874:
873:
867:
865:
861:
857:
856:
850:
847:
843:
842:
836:
833:
829:
827:
823:
816:
814:
810:
806:
805:
799:
796:
792:
791:
785:
782:
778:
777:
771:
768:
765:
761:
760:
754:
752:
748:
742:
741:
735:
733:
731:
727:
724:
720:
719:
713:
710:
706:
705:
699:
696:
692:
691:
685:
683:
681:
679:
677:
675:
673:
671:
669:
667:
663:
659:
658:
652:
649:
645:
644:
638:
636:
634:
632:
628:
624:
623:
617:
615:
611:
604:
602:
599:
598:
593:
591:
590:
585:
584:
579:
578:
573:
572:
567:
560:
557:
555:
553:
548:
546:
542:
541:
533:
530:
525:
524:
520:
518:
517:
513:
511:
510:
506:
504:
503:
499:
495:
494:
490:
488:
487:
483:
481:
480:
476:
474:
473:
469:
468:
467:
466:
462:
457:
456:
452:
449:
448:
444:
441:
440:
436:
433:
432:
428:
427:
426:
425:
421:
419:
418:
414:
412:
411:
407:
403:
402:
398:
396:
395:
391:
389:
388:
384:
381:
380:
376:
375:
374:
373:
369:
367:
366:
362:
360:
359:
355:
352:
351:
347:
345:
344:
343:Myrmica rubra
340:
338:
337:
333:
330:
329:
325:
321:
320:
316:
314:
313:
309:
307:
306:
302:
301:
300:
299:
295:
293:
292:
288:
285:
284:
280:
276:
275:
271:
269:
268:
264:
262:
261:
257:
255:
254:
250:
248:
247:
243:
242:
241:
240:
236:
233:
232:
228:
227:
225:
219:
217:
215:
211:
210:
205:
200:
198:
197:
192:
184:
182:
180:
172:
168:
167:
166:
163:
161:
157:
153:
148:
143:
141:
137:
136:Argentine ant
132:
122:
115:
113:
111:
110:
105:
100:
98:
93:
88:
86:
82:
81:
76:
72:
68:
64:
63:Argentine ant
58:
56:
52:
48:
44:
37:
32:
19:
892:
877:Complete pdf
871:
854:
849:
840:
835:
825:
821:
803:
798:
789:
784:
775:
770:
758:
739:
717:
712:
703:
698:
689:
656:
651:
642:
621:
595:
594:
587:
581:
575:
569:
565:
563:
558:
551:
549:
538:
536:
531:
521:
514:
507:
500:
491:
484:
477:
470:
463:
453:
445:
437:
429:
422:
415:
408:
399:
392:
385:
377:
370:
363:
356:
348:
341:
334:
326:
317:
310:
303:
296:
289:
281:
272:
265:
258:
251:
244:
237:
229:
223:
207:
203:
201:
194:
188:
178:
176:
170:supercolony.
164:
159:
155:
151:
146:
144:
139:
127:
107:
101:
96:
89:
78:
74:
66:
59:
42:
40:
764:Publication
577:T. ibericum
372:Plagiolepis
18:Supercolony
913:Categories
605:References
424:Solenopsis
286:(meat ant)
55:polygynous
51:polydomous
47:ant colony
583:T. magnum
571:T. darioi
298:Lepisiota
179:L. humile
147:L. humile
559:Tapinoma
465:Tapinoma
220:Examples
92:invasive
532:Formica
239:Formica
214:Toronto
191:termite
104:termite
97:Formica
545:Oregon
193:genus
106:genus
77:) and
36:Tyrol
919:Ants
580:and
723:via
212:in
99:.
41:An
915::
884:^
863:^
812:^
750:^
729:^
665:^
630:^
613:^
586:.
574:,
199:.
112:.
900:.
828:.
138:(
73:(
65:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
