Controversies on the subject of slave-raids in amazon ants (genus Polyergus)

Abstract

The paper contains a polemic with the view expressed by Talbot, Wilson and Topoff and his co-workers, who maintain that the existence of scouts and their leading directing in slave-raids of the American Polyergus’ species is fully proved. In particular we do not agree with Talbot’s and Wilson’s argument that following by the amazons of the scent-trail prepared from the crushed bodies of their nestmates indicates that the amazon raids follow the trails of scouts. Considering the results and notions of the above-mentioned authors, we maintain that the mechanism of slave-raids in the American amazons is far from clear.