Akayamaari (English spelling) slave-making ant

An insect belonging to the order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Worker body lengths are 6-9 mm. The thorax and petiole are reddish brown, while the head and abdomen are dark reddish brown. It is widely distributed in the Palaearctic region, and in Japan it is found in Hokkaido and Honshu north of the Chubu region. In the Chubu region, it inhabits grasslands and bare ground from mountainous areas above 800 meters above sea level to the subalpine zone. It establishes colonies by temporarily becoming socially parasitic on black wood ants. After the colony has grown, it attacks the nests of black wood ants in the summer and steals the pupae to put the emerged pupae to work, a so-called slave hunt.

[Yamauchi Katsunori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱膜翅(まくし)目アリ科に属する昆虫。体長は働きアリで6～9ミリメートル。胸部と腹柄節は赤褐色、頭部と腹部は暗赤褐色。旧北区に広く分布し、日本では北海道、中部地方以北の本州にみられる。中部地方では標高約800メートル以上の山地から亜高山帯にわたり、草地や裸地に生息する。クロヤマアリ類に一時的社会寄生してコロニーを創設する。コロニーの成長後は、夏季にクロヤマアリ類の巣を襲い、羽化したものを働かせるために蛹(さなぎ)を奪ういわゆる奴隷狩りを行う。

［山内克典］

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