Why Do Ants Kill Each Other For Lying?
WouterUnlike other social insects, ants do not kill each other for lying. Instead, ants fight each other for dominance of their nest. The fight is triggered by the need to protect their food supply. Some ants even fight to the death.
Several species of ants have multiple queens. These ants lay eggs for the colony. The queen ant is the head of the household. She does not dictate her workers’ behavior, but the workers will respond to her in ways that promote inclusive fitness.
Polygyny in ants has arisen several times throughout the evolution of ants. Polygyny can be caused by group selection. However, most social parasites kill the host queen. Some parasitic queens use brute force, while others use stealth. The host workers may respond to the parasites’ aggression.
Queen ants in some ant species release glandular secretions that serve as camouflage. They also serve to appease the host workers. During the ant’s lifetime, some queens can lay millions of eggs. In fact, some parasitic queens lay enough eggs to maintain a robust population.
One type of ant colony is called unicolonialism. These ants have adapted to habitats where there are few competing species. They are also aggressive towards a broader range of species.
A second type of colony is polygyny. Polygyny is characterized by multiple queens coexisting in a single nest. There are various theories to explain the origins of polygyny. Some theories suggest that the ant species became polygynous because of the loss of discriminatory power. Others suggest that the group size preference may be due to maximal resistance to disease.
