Polyergus samurai
Polyergus samurai is a species of slave-making ant in the subfamily Formicinae. Distribution. It was long thought endemic to Japan, but is now also known from Korea and northeastern China. Description. The queen and workers of this slave-maker ant species are black or dark brown in color (unlike the more western species) generally matching the host species in color. Behavior. Like other species of the genus, it is a parasite to host "Formica" ant species. The colony begins when a young queen leaves her parent colony and mates. The queen then searches for a suitable host  colony. When the "P. samurai" queen invades the host "Formica japonica" colony, she kills the resident "Formica" queen or queens and adopts the colony's scent. She then takes the role as queen, laying eggs destined to become her first "slave"-makers. When the original "Formica" work force is starting to die out, the new workers of the colony begin to search for other colonies of the "Formica" to raid. Once a colony is located, workers will gather above the nest before leaving in a large group to the nest. Once workers reach the host "Formica" nest they rush in and  attempt to steal as many large larvae and pupae as possible before returning to the nest with them, destined to become workers for the "P. samurai" colony. Such raids never kill the queen of suitable host "Formica" species, so the colony can be raided repeatedly over the summer.