Studies on Colony structure and Life Cycle of The Spined ant,Polyrhchis Vicina Roger

This paper reports studies on colony structure and life cycle of the spined ant,Polyrhachis vicina Roger.Studies were carried out at hillsides 10 kilometers from southeast of Yongkang town,Zhejiang province and in the laboratory during the period from 1984 to 1986.One crop of adults was produced each year.They overwintered as queens,males,workers,eggs and Larvae.The eggs and larvae in the winter showed little growth until the following spring,When the weather became warm and then development proceeded rapidly.Adult workers emrged continuously from May to November,males eclosed from August to November,while females eclosed only in October.females entered home nests or other neighbouring nests after mating flights,and then lost their wings and becamc queens.The nests were polygynous.