HERMETISMO ENTRE Solenopsis gayi SPINOLA, 1851 Y Brachymyrmex giardii EMERY, 1894 (HYMENOPTERA,FORMICIDAE)

Abstract

*[To analyse the presence of hermetism between Solenopsis gayi & Brachymyrmex giardii, experiments were carried out with 5 nest of each species, with 10 ants were transferred to the receptive nests (S. gayi & B. giardii). The presence or absence of the following behavioral events were under observation for 2 minutes: antennal exploration, mandibular aperture, biting, ventral abdominal flexure, dorsal abdominal flexure, fighting, intruder transport, & backward movement. The analysis of variance showed that in antennal exploration, mandibular aperture, & ventral abdominal flexure there were significant differences between the species as well as in nests. For the events biting & fighting, there were not significant differences between species, in contrast there were significant differences between nests. In the case of intruder transport & backward movement, there were not significant differences between species, neither did it between nests.]