Population and Nesting Behaviour of Weaver Ants, Oecophylla smaragdina from Meghalaya, India

Abstract

Weaver ants are known for their unique nest-building skills using leaves and larval-silk as a binding agent. The weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina, are present in large numbers in the Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya. This study is the first from this region on the nesting behavior and the population dynamics of these ants. It was noted that Oecophylla smaragdina build nests more abundantly in needlewood trees (Schima wallichi), locally known as 'diengngan'. The nests of O. smaragdina are somewhat round-oval using the leaves of different sizes ranging from 8-32 cm2, and the average nest size is about 9,483 cm3. The nearest distance of the nest from the central tree trunk of S. wallichi is about 0.7 m, and the farthest is up to 3.4 m. The nests are made at a height ranging from 4-25m. They utilize about twenty leaves with a specific number of chambers to keep their broods, the queen, and food. The number of worker ants, pupae, and larvae are variable in nests of different sizes. The study shows that the active period for foraging and nest building of O. smaragdina is at 20-25 °C and significantly declines with the rise in temperature at 30 °C and above. This finding on the presence of an enormous population and familiarity with the nesting behavior of weaver ants O. smaragdina could be useful as an alternative source of nutrition and traditional medicine for the people in this region.