Temporary Parasitism

Temporary social parasites establish new colonies with the assistance of a host species. A queen of the parasite enters the nest of the host and chemically tricks the host workers into adopting her. The intruding queen kills or drives off the host queen and begins to lay her own eggs. Host workers remain in the colony and tend both their own eggs and the eggs of the new queen. Over time the host workers are replaced with workers from the new queen and the colony becomes completely populated by the new queen's offspring.

See Lasius umbratus and Colony Founding in Polyrhachis lamellidens for details on the natural history of temporarily parasitic ants.

Known Temporary Parasites

Temporary Parasite	Host	Locality	Source	Notes
Aphaenogaster tennesseensis	Aphaenogaster fulva
Aphaenogaster tennesseensis	Aphaenogaster picea
Aphaenogaster tennesseensis	Aphaenogaster rudis
Dorymyrmex smithi	Dorymyrmex insanus
Formica adamsi	Formica neorufibarbis
Formica aquilonia	Formica fusca		Chernenko et al., 2013; de la Mora et al., 2021
Formica aquilonia	Formica picea		Chernenko et al., 2013; de la Mora et al., 2021
Formica bruni	Formica (Serviformica) species		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica brunneonitida	Formica candida		Seifert & Schultz, 2021
Formica caucasicola	Formica picea	Georgia	Seifert & Schultz, 2021
Formica dakotensis	Formica fusca
Formica dakotensis	Formica glacialis		J. Trager, pers. comm.	sometimes as a cohabiting inquiline
Formica dakotensis	Formica lepida
Formica dakotensis	Formica montana
Formica dakotensis	Formica pallidefulva
Formica dakotensis	Formica subaenescens		Gregg, 1963; Mackay & Mackay, 2002
Formica dakotensis	Formica subsericea
Formica difficilis	Formica incerta
Formica dirksi	Formica subaenescens
Formica exsecta	Formica cunicularia		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica exsecta	Formica fusca		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica exsecta	Formica lemani		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica fennica	unknown
Formica foreli	Formica (Serviformica) species		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018	primary host likely to be ''F. fusca'', ''F. cunicularia'' or ''F. rufibarbis''
Formica forsslundi	Formica picea		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica forsslundi	Formica transkaucasica
Formica frontalis	Iberoformica subrufa	Spain	de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 2018
Formica fukaii	Formica japonica		Kubota & Kondoh, 1954; Hayashida, 1963
Formica fukaii	Formica lemani		Yamaoka, 1977
Formica indianensis	unknown
Formica knighti	Formica subsericea			needs confirmation
Formica lugubris	Formica (Serviformica) species		de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 1=2019
Formica lugubris	Formica fusca		de la Mora et al., 2021; Chernenko et al., 2013
Formica lugubris	Formica lemani		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica lugubris	Formica picea		de la Mora et al., 2021; Chernenko et al., 2013
Formica manchu	unknown
Formica mesasiatica	unknown
Formica microgyna	Formica argentea		Gregg, 1963; Mackay & Mackay, 2002
Formica microgyna	Formica lasioides		Gregg, 1963; Mackay & Mackay, 2002
Formica microgyna	Formica neogagates		Gregg, 1963; Mackay & Mackay, 2002
Formica microgyna	Formica subaenescens		Gregg, 1963; Mackay & Mackay, 2002
Formica morsei	unknown
Formica nepticula	unknown
Formica nevadensis	unknown
Formica obscuripes	Formica pacifica
Formica pisarskii	Formica candida		Seifert & Schultz, 2021
Formica polyctena	Formica (Serviformica) species		de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 2018; Seifert, 2018
Formica postoculata	unknown
Formica pratensis	Formica cunicularia		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica pratensis	Formica fusca		de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 2018
Formica pressilabris	Formica lemani
Formica pressilabris	Formica lemani		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica querquetulana	Formica subaenescens
Formica rufa	Formica cunicularia		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica rufa	Formica fusca		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica scitula	unknown
Formica spatulata	unknown
Formica suecica	Formica fusca			needs confirmation
Formica suecica	Formica lemani		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Formica suecica	Formica transkaucasica
Formica truncorum	Formica fusca		Chernenko et al., 2011; de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 2018; Seifert, 2018
Formica truncorum	Formica lemani		de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 2018
Formica truncorum	Formica polyctena		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018	single observation
Formica truncorum	Formica pratensis		de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 2018
Formica truncorum	Formica rufibarbis		Chernenko et al., 2011; de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 2018
Formica ulkei	Formica subaenescens
Formica uralensis	Formica transkaucasica
Formica yessensis	Formica (Serviformica) species		de la Mora et al., 2021; Ruano et al., 2018
Lasius arizonicus	unknown
Lasius bicornis	unknown		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018
Lasius californicus	unknown
Lasius carniolicus	Lasius alienus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018	unconfirmed
Lasius carniolicus	Lasius flavus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018
Lasius carniolicus	Lasius niger		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Lasius carniolicus	Lasius piliferus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Raczkowski et al., 2011	unconfirmed
Lasius carniolicus	Lasius psammophilus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Lasius citrinus	Lasius brunneus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018	indirect evidence
Lasius citrinus	Lasius niger		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004	needs confirmation
Lasius claviger	Lasius alienus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Raczkowski & Luque, 2011
Lasius claviger	Lasius americanus		Ellison et al., 2012
Lasius claviger	Lasius neoniger		Ellison et al., 2012
Lasius coloradensis	unknown
Lasius distinguendus	Lasius paralienus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Lasius distinguendus	Lasius platythorax		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018; Schlick-Steiner et al., 2002
Lasius fuliginosus	Lasius bicornis		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Lasius fuliginosus	Lasius jensi		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018	as ''Lasius jensi'' x ''umbratus''
Lasius fuliginosus	Lasius meridionalis		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Lasius fuliginosus	Lasius mixtus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004	unconfirmed
Lasius fuliginosus	Lasius rabaudi		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004	unconfirmed
Lasius fuliginosus	Lasius sabularum		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Lasius fuliginosus	Lasius umbratus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018
Lasius interjectus	Lasius alienus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Raczkowski & Luque, 2011
Lasius interjectus	Lasius claviger		de la Mora et al., 2021; Raczkowski & Luque, 2011
Lasius interjectus	Lasius latipes		de la Mora et al., 2021; Raczkowski & Luque, 2011
Lasius interjectus	Lasius minutus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Raczkowski & Luque, 2011
Lasius interjectus	Lasius murphyi		de la Mora et al., 2021; Raczkowski & Luque, 2011
Lasius interjectus	Lasius umbratus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Raczkowski & Luque, 2011
Lasius jensi	Lasius alienus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018
Lasius latipes	Lasius alienus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Raczkowski et al., 2011
Lasius latipes	Lasius americanus		Ellison et al., 2012; Mackay & Mackay, 2002
Lasius latipes	Lasius crypticus		Mackay & Mackay, 2002
Lasius latipes	Lasius neoniger		de la Mora et al., 2021; Ellison et al., 2012; Janda et al., 2004; Mackay & Mackay, 2002; Raczkowski et al., 2011
Lasius meridionalis	Lasius alienus	Europe	Collingwood, 1979; de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018	unconfirmed
Lasius meridionalis	Lasius hayashi	Japan	Japanese Ant Image Database	needs confirmation
Lasius meridionalis	Lasius japonicus	Japan	Japanese Ant Image Database	needs confirmation
Lasius meridionalis	Lasius niger	Europe	Collingwood, 1979; de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018	unconfirmed
Lasius meridionalis	Lasius psammophilus	Europe	Collingwood, 1979; de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018
Lasius mexicanus	unknown
Lasius minutus	Lasius americanus		Ellison et al., 2012
Lasius minutus	Lasius pallitarsis		Ellison et al., 2012
Lasius mixtus	Lasius flavus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018; Schlick-Steiner et al., 2002
Lasius mixtus	Lasius niger		Collingwood, 1979; de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018	unconfirmed
Lasius mixtus	Lasius platythorax		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Lasius murphyi	Lasius neoniger		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Raczkowski et al., 2011
Lasius occidentalis	unknown
Lasius orientalis	Lasius flavus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004
Lasius plumopilosus	Lasius claviger		Ellison et al., 2012
Lasius pogonogynus	unknown
Lasius pubescens	unknown
Lasius rabaudi	Lasius niger
Lasius reginae	Lasius alienus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018
Lasius reginae	Lasius myops		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018	unconfirmed
Lasius sabularum	Lasius niger		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018	unconfirmed
Lasius spathepus	Lasius japonicus		Japanese Ant Image Database	needs confirmation
Lasius speculiventris	Lasius minutus		Ellison et al., 2012
Lasius subglaber	unknown
Lasius subumbratus	Lasius neoniger		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004
Lasius subumbratus	Lasius pallitarsis		de la Mora et al., 2021; Ellison et al., 2012; Janda et al., 2004
Lasius umbratus	Lasius alienus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004	unconfirmed
Lasius umbratus	Lasius brunneus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018
Lasius umbratus	Lasius emarginatus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004	unconfirmed
Lasius umbratus	Lasius neoniger
Lasius umbratus	Lasius niger		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018
Lasius umbratus	Lasius pallitarsis		Ellison et al., 2012
Lasius umbratus	Lasius platythorax		de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018
Lasius umbratus	Lasius psammophilus		de la Mora et al., 2021; Janda et al., 2004; Seifert, 2018	unconfirmed
Myrmica bibikoffi	Myrmica sabuleti	Switzerland	de la Mora et al., 2021; Jansen et al., 2010; Radchenko & Elmes, 2003
Myrmica bibikoffi	Myrmica spinosior	Germany; Catalonia, Spain	de la Mora et al., 2021; Garcia et al., 2008; Jansen et al., 2010
Myrmica luteola	Manica yessensis	Japan	de la Mora et al., 2021; Jansen et al., 2010; Masuko & Terayama, 2002
Myrmica semiparasitica	Myrmica punctiventris	Canada, United States	de la Mora et al., 2021; Jansen et al., 2010
Myrmica vandeli	Myrmica scabrinodis	Europe	de la Mora et al., 2021; Jansen et al., 2010; Seifert, 2018
Polyrhachis lamellidens	Camponotus japonicus		Kohriba, 1963
Polyrhachis lamellidens	Camponotus kiusiuensis		Sakai, 1990	Needs confirmation
Polyrhachis lamellidens	Camponotus obscuripes		Sakai, 1990
Pseudomyrmex seminole	Pseudomyrmex pallidus		Ward, 1985
Strongylognathus afer	unknown
Strongylognathus minutus	unknown
Strongylognathus pisarskii	unknown
Strongylognathus potanini	unknown
Strongylognathus tylonus	unknown