Polyrhachis Dives #1

Polyrhachis Dives Youtube Video

Introduction to Polyrhachis Dives

Polyrhachis Dives, The lesser Weaver Ant, their larvae spin silk.
Polyrhachis use this silk to weave large nests, using foliage & debris found in their natural habitat. Unlike the True Weaver Ant, Oecophylla which uses the leaf of a live plant to form their nests.

Polyrhachis, however, have a lot more to them, than meets the eye, this species is able to self perpetuate, without the need of males, from another colony of the same species.

Inbreeding, you ask?

Not exactly, the Queen is able to store different genetics, she will fertilise the female alates with one set of genetics and the male drones with another, thus allowing them to mate, without inbreeding, these newly mated Queens are then allowed to return to the Colony, most species will only accept new Queens at founding this is known as Polygyne, due to their nesting habits, being above ground, nests have been found between, floor & knee height, these colonies can contain hundreds if not thousands of Queens, brood at all stages, forming impressive super colonies.

The female workers are monomorphic, meaning they all share the same shape & build, varying only in size by a few millimetres. They do not have workers of varied shape and size to perform different tasks, they have powerful mandibles and are able to produce formic acid, another offence in their arsenal, they have two spikes on their spines a defensive characteristic.

​They are not shy of taking down prey of any size, workers will surround and pull apart their victims, while other workers spray formic acid and attempt to cut through limbs and body alike. They are impressive hunters.

Polyrhachis have a brutal social structure, weakness is not acceptable in any form, illness, injuries, age, disputes, often end in death. they produce workers at an incredible rate, they cycle their brood at varied stages, new workers eclose from their pupae's, on a weekly basis, in their droves.