Oviposition of Stenorrhina degenhardti (Serpentes: Colubridae) in a nest of Acromyrmex octospinosus (Hymenoptera: formicidae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.acbi.4745Keywords:
Acromyrmex octospinosus, ant-snake incubatory inquilinism, Formicidae, Stenorrhina degenhardtiAbstract
During excavation of a leaf-cutter nest (Acromyrmex octospinosus), we discovered a clutch laid by the colubrid snake Stenorrhina degenhardti. The eggs and the bulk of the ant nest were transferred to a laboratory at the University of Antioquia for rearing. The ants not only tolerated the snake clutch within their growth chamber, but the workers
also actively used the eggs as structures to support symbiotic fungal growth. The lack of aggression to both the ovipositing female (presumably) and emerging neonates suggests that this association may represent more than a merely commensal association and deserves further study.
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