DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v64i1.1251Sociobiology 64(1): 130-132  (March, 2017)

Open access journal: http://periodicos.uefs.br/ojs/index.php/sociobiology
ISSN: 0361-6525

“Empty spaces ‘Where’ we are living for” – First record of Dinoponera quadriceps reusing  
nests of Atta sexdens 

The queenless ant Dinoponera quadriceps (Formicidae: 
Ponerinae) is distributed throughout northeastern Brazil (Paiva 
& Brandão, 1995; Lenhart et al., 2013) particularly in the 
Caatinga biome. This environment, which covers approximately 
800.000 km2 (Santos et al., 2011), is characterized by dry and 
nutrient poor soil (Menezes et al., 2012). Dinoponera quadriceps 
are predominantly predators, but solitary individuals also forage 
small fruits (Araújo & Rodrigues, 2006). Their body size can 
vary from 3-4cm (Paiva & Brandão, 1995). Active nests can 
be identified by twigs around and/or above the nest entrance 
(Paiva & Brandão, 1995; personal observation). Here we report 
D. quadriceps colonizing empty Atta sexdens nests and using 
them to raise brood.

The hot and arid conditions found in the natural range 
of D. quadriceps require them to dig deep nests, often over 
3m in depth, with as many as 16 chambers below, but with a 
single entrance (Vasconcelos et al., 2004). Nests in Caatinga 

Abstract 
The reuse of nests by the same or different species can save a colony 
energy and resources. Furthermore, it can increase colony growth and 
the production of brood. The queenless ant Dinoponera quadriceps builds 
deep nests in Caatinga to escape from the dry and hot environment. The 
reuse of deep nests from other species can provide D. quadriceps with 
protection from high temperature, whilst saving on the energy required 
to build new nests. Here, we present the first finding of D. quadriceps 
reusing the nest of Atta sexdens species.

Sociobiology
An international journal on social insects

 DS Assis¹, S Morris², FS Nascimento¹

Article History

Edited by
Evandro Nascimento Silva, UEFS, Brazil
Received                      18 November 2016 
Initial acceptance       06 January 2017
Final acceptance        18 January 2017
Publication date        29 May 2017

Keywords 
Nesting behavior, Ants, Queenless Ants.

Corresponding author
Diego Santana Assis
Laboratório de Ecologia e 
Comportamento de Insetos Sociais
Universidade de São Paulo/FFCLRP
Avenida Bandeirantes nº 3900, 
CEP 14040-901 - Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brasil 
E-Mail: diegoassis@usp.br

are deeper than in Atlantic Forest, possibly because of the 
hotter temperatures and drier air found in this biome. The 
foundation of a new nest occurs via colony fission (Paiva 
& Brandão, 1995; Monnin & Peeters, 1998), as the new 
gamergate and several workers search for a suitable location 
to establish a new nest (Medeiros & Araújo, 2014). Nests of 
A. sexdens can reach up to seven meters of depth (Moreira et 
al., 2004), again to protect against desiccation from the high 
temperatures. (Camargo et al., 2011). It is plausible that the 
new founding members may cohabit their new nest with Atta 
workers (personal observation). 

Nests are energetically expensive to produce in a natural 
environment (Hansell, 1993); hence reusing the nests of hetero 
or conspecifics may confer a benefit in reduced energy and time 
expenditure (Jimenez-Franco et al., 2014). For instance, new 
queens of the social wasp Polistes dominula can reuse an old nest, 
accelerating the process of brood production (Nakar et al., 2015).

1 - Laboratório de Ecologia e Comportamento de Insetos Sociais, Universidade de São Paulo/FFCLRP, São Paulo, Brazil
2 - University of Bristol, United Kingdom 

SHORT NOTE 



Sociobiology 64(1): 130-132 (March, 2017) 131

We sampled D. quadriceps’ nests in Caatinga biome 
in Campo Formoso, Bahia state in Brazil (10° 30’ 32” S, 
40° 19’ 15” W) (Fig 1). A total of 24 D. quadriceps colonies 
were located in the field, from which five (20.84% of all 
nests found) had utilized abandoned (or nests with a low 
population) nests belonging to A. sexdens (Fig 2). These nests 
were dispersed across a field which had previously been used 
for cattle grazing.

In conclusion, we propose that D. quadriceps can 
facultatively use the pre-dug nests of particular Atta species 
as their own, in order to save energy expenditure. It would 

Fig 1. Sampled nests, in blue nests of Atta sexdens used by Dinoponera quadriceps.

seem likely that this may be the case for other Atta species 
with similarly deep nests – indeed, it would be surprising if 
this was not more commonly observed in other species, given 
the likely vast energy savings gained from nest-reuse. 

Acknowledgments

We thank to FAPESP for financial support of D. S. 
Assis for this study (2015/17358-0) and F. S. Nascimento 
(2015/253019-9), also we thank to Evandro Silva for his 
comments on the text. 

Fig 2.  Nest of Atta used by Dinoponera quadriceps. A) Atta entrance; B) Dinoponera quadriceps entrance; 
C) and D) the entrances sight above.



DS Assis, S Morris, FS Nascimento – Reuse of Atta sexdens nest by Dinoponera quadriceps132

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