1980] Buschinger, Francoeur, & Fischer —Leptothorax 11 
relationship among the guest ants than between these and other 
Leptothoracini. On the other hand, the observations clearly confirm 
that L. provancheri at least belongs to a group of Leptothoracini 
assembling around the subgenus Mychothorax (= Leptothorax 
Smith), a group among which also Formicoxenus, Harpagoxenus 
and Doronomyrmex have to be classed. 
Summary 
L. provancheri was collected from a site in the municipality of St- 
Augustin, Comte de Portneuf, Quebec. This guest ant was living 
together with M. incompleta Provancher (=brevinodis Emery). We 
found several nests within the nesting areas of large, polygynous 
Myrmica colonies. From dissecting representative samples we con¬ 
clude that L. provancheri has a social organization similar to that of 
Formicoxenus, a functional monogyny”. This means that each 
colony unit contains one fully fertile queen, which may be a dealate, 
an intermorphic, or even ergatomorphic specimen; and several 
fertilized, but sterile females. We can confirm the observations of 
Holliday (1903) stating that nearly all female individuals, most 
ergatomorphs, intermorphs of various degrees, and alate females, 
possess a well developed spermatheca. Sexually active females 
exhibit a sexual calling behavior (Locksterzeln) like the one described 
for Formicoxenus and other social parasites related to the subgenus 
Leptothorax (= Mychothorax Ruzsky). The haploid chromosome 
number is 11. This is different from Formicoxenus nitidulus (n= 15). 
Whether L. provancheri belongs to the genus Formicoxenus cannot 
yet be decided. 
Literature Cited 
Buschinger, A., 1968. Mono- und Polygynie bei Arten der Gattung Leptothorax 
Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Ins. soc. 15: 217-226. 
1972. Giftdrusensekret als Sexualpheromon bei der Ameise Harpagoxenus 
sublaevis. Die Nalurwissenschaften 59: 313-314 
1976. Giftdrusensekret als Sexualpheromon bei der Gastameise Formicoxenus 
nitidulus (Nyl.) (Hym., Form.). Ins. soc. 23: 215-226 
1978. Queen polymorphism in ants. Reunion Scientifique de la Section 
Franpaise UIEIS, 1978, Besanpon, Bull. Interieur 1978: 12-22 
1979. Functional monogyny in the American guest ant Formicoxenus hirti- 
cornis (Emery) (= Leptothorax hirticornis), (Hym., Formicidae). Ins. soc. 26: 
61-68 
