SPATIAL-ORGANIZATION OF FORAGING ACTIVITY AND COLONIZATION BY COLONY EMIGRATION IN THE PHARAOH ANT, MONOMORIUM-PHARAONIS

Using food bait stations and colony trap nests, the spatial relation b etween the foraging activity of established colonies of the polygynous and unicolonial exotic pharaoh's ant, Monomorium pharaonis, and colon ization by colony fragments was studied over an 8 month period in a la rge institutional setting in Brazil. Both foraging activity and coloni zations demonstrated significant spatial clumping. However, colonizati ons were significantly negatively clumped spatially with respect to fo raging activity. This suggests that the colonization strategy of this species under the studied conditions was that of complete habitat domi nation.