Summary
Most mounds of the myrmicine antSolenopsis invicta in the area of Tallahassee (Florida, U.S.A.), were found to be oval in shape with the long axis of the mound oriented in a north-south direction. This «magnetic» orientation is of probable thermoregulatory significance and is comparable to mound orientation phenomena found in the ant subfamily Formicinac and in the termites.
Résumé
La plupart des dômes des nids de la fourmiSolenopsis invicta, aux environs de Tallahassee (Floride), sont de forme ovale, avec le grand axe orienté nord-sud. Cette orientation «magnétique» est probablement liée à la thermorégulation. Elle est comparable à l'orientation des nids dans la sous-famille des Formicinae et chez les termites.
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Hubbard, M.D., Cunningham, W.G. Orientation of mounds in the antSolenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae). Ins. Soc 24, 3–7 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223276
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223276