Monogynous
Guides
Lasius neoniger
turfgrass ant, Labour day ant, cornfield ant, nuisance ant
Lasius neoniger is a small ant species native to North America, most abundant in the eastern United States and Canada. It is notable for its polydomous colony structure with multiple nest entrances, strong worker fidelity to specific entrances, and seasonal territorial expansion correlated with foraging activity. The species is a known host for the parasitoid wasp Pseudometagea schwarzii and has been documented engaging in competitive confrontations with imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta).
Mycetosoritis hartmanni
Hartmann's Fungus-farming Ant
Mycetosoritis hartmanni is a rarely collected fungus-farming ant native to North America. Colonies are small and monogynous, typically containing fewer than 100 workers. The species constructs distinctive turret-like mounds in sandy soils and cultivates fungi as its sole food source. Despite being locally abundant in suitable habitat, it remains poorly known due to its subterranean lifestyle.
Novomessor cockerelli
Novomessor cockerelli is a large desert ant native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico. It forms large underground colonies with a single queen and multiple nest entrances. Workers forage daily for seeds, plant material, and dead insects, with nearly half their diet consisting of insect corpses. The species exhibits notable competitive behaviors, including plugging neighboring ant colony entrances to delay competitor foraging. It uses both path integration and visual panorama cues for navigation, with dynamic weighting favoring path integration in visually sparse desert environments.
Polygraphus
four-eyed fir bark beetles, polygraphus bark beetles
Polygraphus is a genus of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in the tribe Polygraphini. Species in this genus are phloephagous, feeding on the inner bark of coniferous trees, particularly fir (Abies) and spruce (Picea). The genus includes both native and invasive species, with Polygraphus proximus being the most economically significant due to its invasive spread across Russia and mass mortality impacts on fir forests. Members exhibit monogynous mating systems and produce species-specific stridulatory signals.