Dual mechanism of queen influence over sex ratio in the ant Pheidole pallidula

Menten, Ludivine de; Fournier, Denis; Brent, Colin S.; Passera, Luc; Vargo, Edward L.; Aron, Serge

doi:10.1007/s00265-005-0964-0

Cited by 35 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…colonies should specialize in male production-a split sex-ratio pattern observed in the ant Pheidole pallidula (Fournier et al 2003;de Menten et al 2005; figure 2e). …”

Section: Patterns Of Split Sex Ratio In Ants (A) Queen Control In Higmentioning

confidence: 98%

Patterns of split sex ratio in ants have multiple evolutionary causes based on different within-colony conflicts

Kümmerli

Keller

2009

Biol. Lett.

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Split sex ratio-a pattern where colonies within a population specialize in either male or queen production-is a widespread phenomenon in ants and other social Hymenoptera. It has often been attributed to variation in colony kin structure, which affects the degree of queen-worker conflict over optimal sex allocation. However, recent findings suggest that split sex ratio is a more diverse phenomenon, which can evolve for multiple reasons. Here, we provide an overview of the main conditions favouring split sex ratio. We show that each split sex-ratio type arises due to a different combination of factors determining colony kin structure, queen or worker control over sex ratio and the type of conflict between colony members.

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“…colonies should specialize in male production-a split sex-ratio pattern observed in the ant Pheidole pallidula (Fournier et al 2003;de Menten et al 2005; figure 2e). …”

Section: Patterns Of Split Sex Ratio In Ants (A) Queen Control In Higmentioning

confidence: 98%

Patterns of split sex ratio in ants have multiple evolutionary causes based on different within-colony conflicts

Kümmerli

Keller

2009

Biol. Lett.

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“…In early spring, queens of this species increase their production of potentially reproductive offspring by laying eggs that are larger, contain more RNA, have larger polar plasms and have nurse cells with larger nuclei (Wilson 1971;Wheeler 1986). Furthermore, it is known for the ant Pheidole pallidula that queens seal offspring outcome hormonally in the egg, in part, with additions of juvenile hormones, such that individuals hatch as either potential queens or workers (De Menten et al 2005). Finally, in a recent experimental study on Pogonomyrmex harvester ants, Schwander et al (2008) showed that eggs that give rise to queens have lower levels of the hormone ecdysterone (moulting hormone).…”

Section: Predictions and Evidence For Maternal Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal effects in cooperative breeders: from hymenopterans to humans

Russell

Lummaa

2009

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

106

153

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The environment that an offspring experiences during its development can have lifelong consequences for its morphology, anatomy, physiology and behaviour that are strong enough to span generations. One aspect of an offspring's environment that can have particularly pronounced and long-lasting effects is that provided by its parent(s) (maternal effects). Some disciplines in biology have been quicker to appreciate maternal effects than others, and some organisms provide better model systems for understanding the causes and consequences of the maternal environment for ecology and evolution than others. One field in which maternal effects has been poorly represented, and yet is likely to represent a particularly fruitful area for research, is the field of cooperative breeding (i.e. systems where offspring are reared by carers in addition to parent(s)). Here, we attempt to illustrate the scope of cooperative breeding systems for maternal effects research and, conversely, highlight the importance of maternal effects research for understanding cooperative breeding systems. To this end, we first outline why mothers will commonly benefit from affecting the phenotype of their offspring in cooperative breeding systems, present potential strategies that mothers could employ in order to do so and offer predictions regarding the circumstances under which different types of maternal effects might be expected. Second, we highlight why a neglect of maternal strategies and the effects that they have on their offspring could lead to miscalculations of helper/worker fitness gains and a misunderstanding of the factors selecting for the evolution and maintenance of cooperative breeding. Finally, we introduce the possibility that maternal effects could have significant consequences for our understanding of both the evolutionary origins of cooperative breeding and the rise of social complexity in cooperative systems.

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“…The queen may directly affect larval physiology, or she may inhibit gyne production indirectly by modifying worker behavior. Hence, apart from a few notable cases of maternal effect (de Menten et al 2005) or genetic control (Julian et al 2002;Volny and Gordon 2002), the differentiation between gynes and workers seems to occur at the larval stage and depend on the type of care provided by the nurses (Wilson 1971;Brian 1973;Vargo and Passera 1991;Wheeler 1994). In addition, while workers of many species have retained functional ovaries and could increase the colony reproductive allocation by laying their own male eggs, other constraints (worker-worker conflicts over male parentage and colony-level selection) generally prevent them from doing so under queenright (QR) conditions (Woyciechowski and Łomnicki 1987;Ratnieks 1988;Hammond and Keller 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

Production of sexuals in a fission-performing ant: dual effects of queen pheromones and colony size

Boulay

Hefetz

Cerdá

et al. 2007

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Models based on the kin selection theory predict that in social hymenopterans, queens may favor a lower investment in the production of sexuals than workers. However, in perennial colonies, this conflict may be tuned down by colony-level selection because of the trade off between colony survival and reproductive allocation. In this study, we present a survey of sexual production in colonies of Aphaenogaster senilis, a common species of ant in the Iberian Peninsula. Similar to most species that reproduce by fission, males were found in large excess compared to gynes (172:1). Sexuals were more likely to be found in queenless than in queenright (QR) field colonies. However, we also found a few gynes and numerous males in very large QR colonies. We compared these data with those available in the literature for A. rudis, a congeneric species from North America that has independent colony founding. The sex ratio in this species was only five males for each female, and sexuals were mostly found in QR nests, irrespective of colony size. We confirmed queen inhibition of sexual production in A. senilis in laboratory experiments and provide evidence that this inhibition is mediated by a nonvolatile pheromone. To seek the potential source of such a queen pheromone, we analyzed the secretions of two conspicuous exocrine glands, the Dufour's and postpharyngeal glands (DG and PPG, respectively) in both queens and workers. Both secretions were composed of hydrocarbons, but that of DG also contained small quantities of tetradecanal and hexadecanal. The hydrocarbon profile of the DG and PPG showed notable caste specificity suggesting a role in caste-related behavior. The PPG secretions also differed between colonies suggesting its role in colonylevel recognition. We suggest that in A. senilis, there are two modes of colony fission: First, in very large colonies, gynes are produced, probably because of the dilution of the queen pheromone, and consequently one or more gynes leave the mother colony with workers and brood to found a new nest. This is beneficial at the colony level because it avoids the production of costly sexuals in small colonies. However, because the queen and workers have different optima for sexual production, we hypothesize that queens tend to overproduce the pheromone to delay their production. This in turn may drive workers to leave the mother colony during nest relocation and to produce sexuals once they are away from the queen's influence, creating a second mode of colony fission.

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Dual mechanism of queen influence over sex ratio in the ant Pheidole pallidula

Cited by 35 publications

References 53 publications

Patterns of split sex ratio in ants have multiple evolutionary causes based on different within-colony conflicts

Patterns of split sex ratio in ants have multiple evolutionary causes based on different within-colony conflicts

Maternal effects in cooperative breeders: from hymenopterans to humans

Production of sexuals in a fission-performing ant: dual effects of queen pheromones and colony size

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