Pseudomyrmex inquilinus

This species is an inquiline. Queens live in the nest of a different ant species, have no workers and are entirely dependent on their hosts for food. The queens produce eggs that are cared for and raised to maturity by the host workers.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina.

Biology
Ward (1996) - Brief observations on behaviour were made in the field during the collection of nest no. 12844. Most of the P. inquilinus queens were close to the host queen. One was riding on the back of the host queen gaster, holding on with her mandibles around the anterior peduncle of the petiole. (The concave masticatory margins of the P. inquilinus mandibles make them well-suited for this task.) As the nest was broken open Pseudomyrmex host workers were seen encountering P.inquilinus queens and no antagonistic behaviour ensued. The single parasite male was in the upper part of the twig nest, where most of the host males were concentrated, while the nine parasite queens and the host queen occurred in the lower portions of the nest. The entire host nest occupied a hollow section of the dead twig about 0.5 m in length (out of a total length of about 1 m).

Nomenclature

 *  inquilinus. Pseudomyrmex inquilinus Ward, 1996: 255, figs. 1-4, 11, 12, 21, 22 (q.m.) ARGENTINA.