Colony Revival, and Notes on Rearing and Life History of the Big-headed Ant

Abstract

In the laboratory, a queen of the big-headed ant, Pheidole megacephala (Fabr.), could successfully revive an experimental nest with only ten newly eclosed minor workers from the non-feeding pupae. However, a nest that bad no queen, or had a queen with only major workers, with larvae, or with 10 minor workers failed to revive. Queens and major workers from established colonies could not nurse the newly hatched larvae. Detailed information is given on ant collecting and rearing of laboratory stock cultures. A generation of minor workers took 34 to 38 days to complete its life cycle at 26° to 27°C.