268 
Psyche 
[Vol. 89 
spinosus are not easy to find. Under oak and hickory trees where 
there have been abundant nut falls, most inhabited nuts are occu- 
pied by more mature colonies. However, over several years, we 
discovered several apparently incipient colonies of L. ambiguus and 
L. longispinosus. 
Materials and Methods 
We searched for incipient colonies of L. ambiguus and L. longi- 
spinosus in late summer and early autumn. An incipient colony was 
defined as a nest containing one or more dealate queens with a 
brood, but no workers. 
Results 
A total of 15 apparently incipient nests was found, 8 of L. am- 
biguus and 7 of L. longispinosus. Table 1 1 lists the number of 
queens and the type of brood present when the nests were collected. 
We tried to culture incipient colonies in the laboratory. However, 
perhaps because the artificial nests lacked a source of moisture, we 
had little success. Although the queens (perhaps unnaturally) for- 
aged for food and water, their broods gradually languished and 
died. Only L. ambiguus nest 7 and L. longispinosus nest 5 produced 
workers in the laboratory. 
Table 1 1 shows that the number of queens in apparently incipient 
nests of L. ambiguus ranged from 2 to 10; and the number of queens 
in apparently incipient nests of L. longispinosus ranged from 1 to 
15. These data indicate that queens of L. longispinosus found new 
colonies on a facultatively polygynous basis. So far we have failed to 
find an instance of apparently monogynous colony foundation in L . 
ambiguus. However, it would be premature to conclude that polygy- 
nous colony foundation in L. ambiguus is obligatory. 
Since we were mainly interested in the behavior of colony- 
founding queens, we did not dissect the foundresses to determine 
their reproductive status. However, the presence of male pupae in L. 
ambiguus nests 4 and 8 suggests that one or more of the queens may 
have become fertile without insemination. 
Multiple colony foundresses showed no hostility toward one 
another. To the contrary, apparently “cooperative” acts were com- 
mon. All brood was kept in a single pile and seemed to be tended 
jointly. Mutual grooming was frequent; and queens often regurgi- 
tated to one another upon returning from foraging trips. Some 
groups of queens “took turns” foraging. 
