Rhytidoponera confusa

Both flying queens and gamergates reproduce, in separate colonies.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Biology
Winged queens still occur in this basal species. Founding queens raise offspring almost as large as themselves, hence ICF is always non-claustral, i.e. queens need to hunt insects aboveground (Ward 1981b). Queenright colonies produce a large number of gynes annually. Following queen death, a few workers can mate and reproduce. Gamergate colonies reproduce by fission (Ward 1981b)

Molet et al. (2008) - Queenright colonies are larger than gamergate colonies. Colonies with the original founding (dealate) queen have 337±43 (mean±SE, N=49) workers, 37±11 gynes (N=39), and 46±20 males (N=39), while gamergate colonies consisted of 101±14 workers (N=30), 0.04±0.04 gynes (N=23), and 2±1 males (N=23) but no dealate queen.

The effect of latitude and environment on colonial reproduction (i.e. quality (lean and fat weight) and quantity of gynes) was assessed by collecting 79 colonies along the Australian east coast (Molet et al. 2008).

Nomenclature

 *  confusa. Rhytidoponera confusa Ward, 1980: 482, figs. 1-3, 16, 17, 26, 28 (w.) AUSTRALIA.