The anatomy and its mathematical modeling of the ant nest of Crematogaster macaoensis
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Key Words：Crematogaster macaoensis Wheeler, nest, physical features, model, lac insect
Abstract：In order to reveal the biological characteristics of ant Crematogaster macaoensis Wheeler, which has a close relation with excreting honeydew insects, the nests of the ant C. macaoensis were investigated in a lac plantation in Yayi Town of Mojiang County, Yunnan Province. Forty-two nests were collected from August 2009 to July 2010. C. macaoensis built their nests with leaf and stick debris on branches of the host plant of lac insect. The color of nest is grey black, the inner structure is loose and ant way is criss-cross. Each nest was divided into small pieces for counting the numbers of each caste and developing stages. The results showed that the average number of queens, winged females, males and workers in each nest were 1.00±0.00, 488.75±242.59, 3 096.86±2 923.75 and 40 839.07±8 597.98, respectively. While the developing stages of eggs, larvae and pupae were 9 936.60±2 448.62, 3 214.83±781.71 and 4 582.00±656.07, respectively. Thus the total number of ant population in each nest was 58250.31±10469.50. Two mathematical models (namely nest volume of C. macaoensis and the numbers of workers) were established to predict C. macaoensis population dynamics. The calculation formula were: V=0.365×（ ×πabc）1.056 and WN=135.236×V0.660. (Where V was the nest volume. a, b, c were long radius, short radius and extremely radius, respectively. WN was the numbers of workers.). With these two models, the numbers of workers in each nest could be estimated by measuring the long radius, short radius and extremely radius of the nest.