Slave-making-ant
Guides
Formica rubicunda
Ruddy Slave-making Ant
Formica rubicunda is a North American ant species in the genus Formica, described by Emery in 1893. It belongs to a genus containing numerous social parasite species, including both obligate and facultative slave-makers. The species is recorded from the northeastern United States, including Vermont. Like many Formica species, it may exhibit social parasitic behaviors, though specific documentation for this species is limited.
Formica subintegra
Formica subintegra is an obligate slave-making ant that practices dulosis, a form of social parasitism where the species depends entirely on captured workers of closely related host species for domestic tasks. Colonies consist of 70-90% enslaved workers, primarily from the Formica fusca group. The species exhibits relatively frequent nest relocations, moving toward areas of higher host density to improve raiding success. Unlike more specialized obligate parasites, F. subintegra retains the ability to recover degenerated behaviors when isolated from hosts, including foraging, nest excavation, and trophallaxis.
Polyergus bicolor
Bicolored Amazon Ant
Polyergus bicolor is an obligate slave-making ant species in the genus Polyergus, commonly known as Amazon ants. The species was first described by Wasmann in 1901 and was historically known primarily from eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. A 2019 discovery in Alberta, Canada marked a significant range expansion westward and represented a new host association with Formica podzolica. Like other Polyergus species, P. bicolor is a dulotic parasite entirely dependent on host colonies of Formica ants for survival, as its workers cannot forage, feed themselves, or excavate nests.
Polyergus breviceps
Broad-headed Amazon Ant
Polyergus breviceps is an obligate slave-making ant endemic to the United States. Workers are incapable of foraging, feeding brood, or performing nest maintenance, relying entirely on enslaved Formica workers for all colony tasks. The species conducts organized raids on Formica colonies to capture pupae, which mature into workers in the mixed nest. Newly mated queens can independently usurp Formica colonies through a combination of physical combat and chemical deception.
Polyergus longicornis
Long-horned Amazon Ant
Polyergus longicornis is a dulotic (slave-making) ant species in the genus Polyergus, commonly known as Amazon ants. Elevated to full species status by Trager (2013), it was originally described by M. R. Smith in 1947. The species belongs to the Nearctic lucidus group, which includes P. lucidus, P. montivagus, P. oligergus, P. ruber, and P. sanwaldi. Like all Polyergus species, it is an obligate social parasite dependent on host colonies of Formica ants for survival and reproduction.
Polyergus lucidus
Shining Slave-Making Ant, Shining Amazon Ant, Lucidus-group Amazon Ant
Polyergus lucidus is an obligatory social parasite and slave-making ant endemic to the eastern United States. Workers are incapable of feeding themselves or rearing their own brood, relying entirely on captured host ants to perform these tasks. The species conducts organized raids on nests of Formica ants, primarily Formica incerta, capturing pupae that mature into functional workers in the parasite colony. P. lucidus exhibits strong host specificity, with colonies typically containing only one slave species despite multiple potential hosts being available in the same habitat.
Polyergus mexicanus
Western Amazon Ant
Polyergus mexicanus is an obligate social parasite known as the Western Amazon Ant, widely distributed across western North America. This species is incapable of performing basic colony tasks including foraging, nest excavation, and brood care, and depends entirely on enslaved workers of Formica host species. The species performs dramatic, coordinated raids on Formica colonies to capture larvae and pupae, which are then integrated into the parasite colony. Recent genetic studies have revealed substantial population structure associated with different host species, suggesting incipient speciation into host-specific lineages.
Polyergus montivagus
Foothills Amazon Ant
Polyergus montivagus is a dulotic (slave-making) ant in the lucidus group of the genus Polyergus, originally described from the foothills near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The species is an obligate social parasite that raids nests of Formica ants to capture pupae, which mature into enslaved workers that maintain the colony. Workers possess distinctive long, blackish legs and a non-pubescent, shiny gaster. Colony size averages 300-500 workers.
Polyergus topoffi
Topoff's Amazon Ant
Polyergus topoffi is a dulotic (slave-making) ant species described in 2013 as part of a global revision of the genus Polyergus. It belongs to the rufescens group, informally termed the breviceps complex, which comprises American species within this otherwise Palaearctic-centered group. Like all Polyergus species, it is an obligatory social parasite dependent on host colonies of Formica ants for survival, as its workers cannot feed themselves or excavate nests. The species is one of five newly described in the 2013 revision based on morphometric, ecological, host-association, and biogeographic characteristics.
Polyergus vinosus
Wine-red Amazon Ant
Polyergus vinosus is a species of slave-making ant in the genus Polyergus, described in 2013 as part of a global revision of the genus. It belongs to the rufescens group, informally known as the breviceps complex, and is one of five new species described in that revision. Like all Polyergus species, it is an obligatory social parasite that relies on host colonies of Formica ants for survival, as it cannot feed itself or excavate nests.
Protomognathus
Protomognathus is a genus of myrmicine ants containing obligatory slave-making species. The genus includes Protomognathus americanus, which exhibits a "prudent" slave-making strategy characterized by minimal fitness impact on host colonies compared to more destructive slave-makers. Scout workers actively seek host colonies, and colony size influences both scouting behavior and host defensive responses.
Temnothorax americanus
Slave-raiding Acorn Ant
Temnothorax americanus is an obligatory slave-making ant species endemic to the northeastern United States and adjacent Canadian regions. Adults measure 2–3 mm in length. The species does not forage for food; instead, scout workers locate nearby host colonies, raid them for larvae and pupae, and integrate these into their own colony as slave workers. A typical colony consists of a queen, two to five workers, and thirty or more slaves. The species is a member of the tribe Crematogastrini within the subfamily Myrmicinae.