---
OA_type: closed access
_id: '3913'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Many invasive ant species, such as the Argentine ant or the red imported fire
    ant, have huge colonies with thousands of mass-foraging workers, which quickly
    monopolise resources and therefore represent a considerable threat to the native
    ant fauna. Cardiocondyla obscurior and several other species of this myrmicine
    genus have similarly been transferred throughout the tropics by human activities.
    However, because their colonies are tiny and workers forage solitarily, Cardiocondyla
    are often not recognized as successful invaders. Here, we document that the life
    history of Cardiocondyla closely resembles that of the more conspicuous tramp
    species, with polygyny, intranidal mating, budding, worker sterility, low genetic
    variability, and possibly also unicoloniality. Given that introduced Cardiocondyla
    may locally reach a very high population density, the effects of these stealthy
    invaders on the native arthropod fauna should receive more attention.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Jürgen
  full_name: Heinze, Jürgen
  last_name: Heinze
- first_name: Sylvia
  full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
  id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Cremer
  orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
- first_name: Norbert
  full_name: Eckl, Norbert
  last_name: Eckl
- first_name: Alexandra
  full_name: Schrempf, Alexandra
  last_name: Schrempf
citation:
  ama: 'Heinze J, Cremer S, Eckl N, Schrempf A. Stealthy invaders: the biology of
    Cardiocondyla tramp ants. <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>. 2006;53(1):1-7. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4">10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4</a>'
  apa: 'Heinze, J., Cremer, S., Eckl, N., &#38; Schrempf, A. (2006). Stealthy invaders:
    the biology of Cardiocondyla tramp ants. <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>. Springer Nature.
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4</a>'
  chicago: 'Heinze, Jürgen, Sylvia Cremer, Norbert Eckl, and Alexandra Schrempf. “Stealthy
    Invaders: The Biology of Cardiocondyla Tramp Ants.” <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>. Springer
    Nature, 2006. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4</a>.'
  ieee: 'J. Heinze, S. Cremer, N. Eckl, and A. Schrempf, “Stealthy invaders: the biology
    of Cardiocondyla tramp ants,” <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>, vol. 53, no. 1. Springer
    Nature, pp. 1–7, 2006.'
  ista: 'Heinze J, Cremer S, Eckl N, Schrempf A. 2006. Stealthy invaders: the biology
    of Cardiocondyla tramp ants. Insectes Sociaux. 53(1), 1–7.'
  mla: 'Heinze, Jürgen, et al. “Stealthy Invaders: The Biology of Cardiocondyla Tramp
    Ants.” <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>, vol. 53, no. 1, Springer Nature, 2006, pp. 1–7,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4">10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4</a>.'
  short: J. Heinze, S. Cremer, N. Eckl, A. Schrempf, Insectes Sociaux 53 (2006) 1–7.
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:05:51Z
date_published: 2006-02-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-08-26T13:15:26Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1007/s00040-005-0847-4
extern: '1'
intvolume: '        53'
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '02'
oa_version: None
page: 1 - 7
publication: Insectes Sociaux
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1420-9098
  issn:
  - 0020-1812
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Nature
publist_id: '2240'
status: public
title: 'Stealthy invaders: the biology of Cardiocondyla tramp ants'
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 53
year: '2006'
...
---
_id: '3924'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 'Males of the ant Cardiocondyla show a dispersal dimorphism of a winged and
    wingless morph. The loss of flight has lead to morphological reductions in the
    wingless (ergatoid) males and also affected body size, eye size and pigmentation.
    As ergatoid males mate exclusively inside the maternal nest, they underlie increased
    male-male competition and therefore have also evolved additional changes in behaviour
    and physiology: in contrast to winged males, ergatoid males are highly aggressive
    towards each other and their spermatogenesis is prolonged compared to all other
    hymenopteran males. In addition to these two male morphs, we found males with
    an intermediate appearance. These &quot;intermorphic&quot; males provide a transitional
    stage between normal males in most investigated morphological and physiological
    parameters. As they are produced extremely rarely and only in colonies that switch
    between pure ergatoid to mixed male production, we argue that they likely represent
    a developmental mistake. Parallels between the determination of male morphs and
    female castes (queen-worker dimorphism and worker polymorphism) might help to
    understand how the large potential of phenotypic plasticity in both sexes of social
    insects is realised during development.'
acknowledgement: We would like to thank S. Karpeles for histological analysis of the
  winged males and S. Buchhauser for help with the photographs. This study was funded
  by the DFG (grant He1623/12–1).
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Sylvia
  full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
  id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Cremer
  orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
- first_name: Birgit
  full_name: Lautenschläger, Birgit
  last_name: Lautenschläger
- first_name: Jürgen
  full_name: Heinze, Jürgen
  last_name: Heinze
citation:
  ama: Cremer S, Lautenschläger B, Heinze J. A transitional stage between the ergatoid
    and winged male morph in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior. <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>.
    2002;49(3):221-228. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z">10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z</a>
  apa: Cremer, S., Lautenschläger, B., &#38; Heinze, J. (2002). A transitional stage
    between the ergatoid and winged male morph in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior.
    <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>. Springer. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z</a>
  chicago: Cremer, Sylvia, Birgit Lautenschläger, and Jürgen Heinze. “A Transitional
    Stage between the Ergatoid and Winged Male Morph in the Ant Cardiocondyla Obscurior.”
    <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>. Springer, 2002. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z</a>.
  ieee: S. Cremer, B. Lautenschläger, and J. Heinze, “A transitional stage between
    the ergatoid and winged male morph in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior,” <i>Insectes
    Sociaux</i>, vol. 49, no. 3. Springer, pp. 221–228, 2002.
  ista: Cremer S, Lautenschläger B, Heinze J. 2002. A transitional stage between the
    ergatoid and winged male morph in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior. Insectes Sociaux.
    49(3), 221–228.
  mla: Cremer, Sylvia, et al. “A Transitional Stage between the Ergatoid and Winged
    Male Morph in the Ant Cardiocondyla Obscurior.” <i>Insectes Sociaux</i>, vol.
    49, no. 3, Springer, 2002, pp. 221–28, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z">10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z</a>.
  short: S. Cremer, B. Lautenschläger, J. Heinze, Insectes Sociaux 49 (2002) 221–228.
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:05:55Z
date_published: 2002-04-05T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-06-13T11:44:08Z
day: '05'
doi: 10.1007/s00040-002-8305-z
extern: '1'
intvolume: '        49'
issue: '3'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '04'
oa_version: None
page: 221 - 228
publication: Insectes Sociaux
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 0020-1812
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer
publist_id: '2229'
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: A transitional stage between the ergatoid and winged male morph in the ant
  Cardiocondyla obscurior
type: journal_article
user_id: ea97e931-d5af-11eb-85d4-e6957dddbf17
volume: 49
year: '2002'
...