© International Society for Tropical Ecology Colonial system of Philidris ants (Formicidae; Dolichoderinae)

Abstract: The colonial system and territoriality of Philidris (Formicidae; Dolichoderinae) ants occupying dominantly epiphytic myrmecophytes, Hydnophytum moseleyanum (Rubiaceae: Hydnophytinae), in a mangrove forest in Papua New Guinea were investigated using a test measuring ant aggressiveness. One ant colony occupied several H. moseleyanum plants on plural mangrove trees. The ants were polydomous and monogynous as the colonies always had a single queen. It was suggested that the arboreal ant fauna in the mangrove forest canopy re-vealed an ant mosaic distribution pattern. As the main food resource, the Philidris ants ob-tained honeydew secreted by the diaspidid scale insects on the shoot tips of the host mangrove trees of H. moseleyanum. Resumen: El sistema colonial y la territorialidad de hormigas Philidris (Formicidae; Doli-choderinae) que ocupan predominantemente la mirmecófita epífita Hydnophytum moseleyanum (Rubiaceae: Hydnophytinae) en un manglar en Papúa Nueva Guinea fueron investigados por medio del uso de una prueba de agresividad de las hormigas. Una colonia de hormigas ocupó varias plantas de H. moseleyanum en varios árboles del manglar. Las hormigas fueron polido-mias y monóginas ya que las colonias siempre tuvieron una única reina. Se sugiere que la fau