Krugova T.M. 2019. [To the methods for estimating of ant colony size using the example of the genus Myrmica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)] // Euroasian Entomological Journal. Vol.17 (for 2018). No.6: 418–427 [in Russian, with English summary].
Tigirek State Natural Reserve, Nikitina str. 111, Barnaul 656049 Russia.
E-mail: tatonato@mail.ru.
doi: 10.15298/euroasentj.17.6.06
ABSTRACT. The study evaluates colony size in Myrmica ants, belonging to the most common in West Siberia species. Potential of a method of indirect evaluation of the Myrmica ant colony size is studied. According to the digging of ant nests, colony size of the studied species amounts for Myrmica rubra — 868–6045, M. ruginodis — 569–1375, M. lonae — 419–1866 specimen. The results of digging are confronted with the mass of syrup, absorbed by the colonies. The relation is found for M. lonae and M. ruginodis; syrup absorption by M. rubra ants didn’t correlate with the colony size. Received data show the restriction of the method use because of the probable disregard of the baits by large families. Parameters of this relation appeared to be similar for the colonies of different species, studied on the West-Siberian plane in different years; for the colonies, studied in Altai mountains, this parameters appeared to be different.
KEY WORDS: ants, colony size, sugar baits, Myrmica lonae, M. rubra, M. ruginodis.