A test for variation in slave species work efficiency in mixed slave-maker, Protomognathus americanus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), colonies

The possibility that some species of slaves might work more efficiently than others in slave-maker colonies was studied using colonies of the slave-maker ant, Protomognathus americanus (EMERY, 1895) that contained two slave species Temnothorax longispinosus (ROGER, 1863) and T. curvispinosus (MAYR, 1866). No difference between the contribution to foraging between the two species was found. This suggests that slaves of the less common slave species are not adjusting their behavior in the presence of another, more common slave-species.