Queen reproduction, chemical signalling and worker behaviour in polygyne colonies of the ant Formica fusca

Hannonen, Minttumaaria; Sledge, Matthew F.; Turillazzi, Stefano; Sundström, Liselotte

doi:10.1006/anbe.2002.4001

Cited by 77 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The recent finding of nepotism in the polygynous ant Formica fusca (6) is therefore not at variance with the absence of informative recognition cues in monogynous F. truncorum, provided that future work will show that the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of F. fusca workers are significantly more informative than those of monogynous F. truncorum workers. A recent study identifying 61 cuticular hydrocarbons in queens of this F. fusca population (40) suggests that this may well be the case. Informative cuticular hydrocarbon profiles are also expected in species that invariably have a single once mated queen per colony, because highly heritable recognition cues will likely be adaptive for recognizing nonnestmates, whereas the issue of discrimination between full-sisters and half-sisters does not apply.…”

Section: Inclusive Fitness Predictions Of the Number And Chemical Strmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…These societies are principally open for additional reproductive females to join, which implies that queen-queen competition for attention from the workers is probably frequent and that queens advertise their fertility by chemical signals (40). Polygyny also incurs a constant risk of usurpation or social parasitism by unrelated individuals.…”

Section: Inclusive Fitness Predictions Of the Number And Chemical Strmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Informational constraints on optimal sex allocation in ants

Boomsma

Nielsen²,

Sundström³

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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107

112

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Workers of the ant Formica truncorum specialize in rearing females or males depending on the number of fathers of a colony. These split sex ratios increase inclusive fitness, but it has remained unknown how workers assess the number of patrilines in their colonies and to what extent their reproductive decisions are constrained by lack of information. By analysis of the quantitative variation in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers of multiply mated queens, we show that the heritable component of recognition cues is low and that the extent of sex ratio biasing toward males is correlated with patriline differences in hydrocarbon profiles. Workers are thus able to capitalize on colony-level relatedness asymmetry, but their inclusive fitness is constrained by uninformative recognition cues. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the occasional expression of nepotistic phenotypes favoring full-sisters over half-sisters maintains selection against informative recognition cues. We evaluate how inclusive fitness theory may be used to predict the number and kind of recognition cues in insect societies of a specific relatedness structure.split sex ratios ͉ inclusive fitness ͉ chemical recognition ͉ cuticular hydrocarbons ͉ nepotism E very kin-structured society is a delicate balance between cooperation for common prosperity and potentially destructive conflicts between subgroups or individuals. The expression of such conflicts may increase the fitness of some individuals, but may entail collective costs when it disrupts social cohesion and reduces productivity (1). Principles of cooperation and conflict in families can generally be understood from Hamilton's rule (2), but the key variables in the equation (relatedness and the costs and benefits of helping), may both explain indiscriminate cooperation among relatives of any degree, and nepotistic discrimination between relatives of different relatedness. This paradox can only be resolved when recognition efficiency, i.e., the availability and perception of information on relatedness, is explicitly considered (3). Accurate information allows efficient recognition of individual degrees of kinship promoting the expression of conflict, whereas noisy recognition cues could make the cost of nepotism greater than the benefit and thus lead to unconditional cooperation among relatives, while still allowing discrimination of nonkin.The ability to differentiate between kin of different degree has been amply documented in vertebrate societies (4, 5), but has remained difficult to prove in insect societies (ref. 3, but see ref. 6). Likely reasons for this difference might be that insect colonies are larger than vertebrate societies, whereas the learning capacities of insects are limited compared with vertebrates (4). In addition, the social life of insects happens mostly in the darkness of nest cavities. Visual cues are therefore of limited use, the only known exception being paper wasps with daylight-exposed nests, which can recognize facial characteristics of nes...

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Section: Inclusive Fitness Predictions Of the Number And Chemical Strmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Inclusive Fitness Predictions Of the Number And Chemical Strmentioning

confidence: 99%

Informational constraints on optimal sex allocation in ants

Boomsma

Nielsen²,

Sundström³

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

107

112

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In several ant species, the hydrocarbon profiles of adults correlate with the fertility of individuals, which suggests that hydrocarbons represent a signal regulating reproduction (35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45). In fact, workers can identify gradual differences in the fertility of nestmates in some of these species (42,46) as well as in others (47)(48)(49).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, workers can identify gradual differences in the fertility of nestmates in some of these species (42,46) as well as in others (47)(48)(49). In Myrmecia gulosa, it has been experimentally shown that workers can differentiate between the hydrocarbon profiles of reproductives and infertile workers (44).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These processes are very basal and widespread, as indicated by the close correlation of variations in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile and reproductive activity in many ant species (35,37,41,42). Besides their function in protecting eggs and cuticle from desiccation (64 -66) and contributing to nestmate recognition (67)(68)(69), hydrocarbon profiles additionally represent a queen signal that regulates reproduction in C. floridanus and possibly in many other social insects as well.…”

Section: Regulation Of Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Surface hydrocarbons of queen eggs regulate worker reproduction in a social insect

Endler

Liebig

Schmitt

et al. 2004

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

258

219

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A hitherto largely unresolved problem in behavioral biology is how workers are prevented from reproducing in large insect societies with high relatedness. Signals of the queen are assumed to inform the nestmates about her presence in the colony, which leads to indirect fitness benefits for workers. In the ant Camponotus floridanus, we found such a signal located on queen-laid eggs. In groups of workers that were regularly provided with queen-laid eggs, larvae, and cocoons, with larvae and cocoons alone, or with no brood, only in the groups with queen-laid eggs did workers not lay eggs. Thus, the eggs seem to inform the nestmates about the queen's presence, which induces workers to refrain from reproducing. The signal on queen-laid eggs is presumably the same that enables workers to distinguish between queen-and worker-laid eggs. Despite their viability, the latter are destroyed by workers when given a choice between both types. Queen-and worker-laid eggs differ in their surface hydrocarbons in a way similar to the way fertile queens differ from workers in the composition of their cuticular hydrocarbons. When we transferred hydrocarbons from the queen cuticle to worker-laid eggs, the destruction of those eggs was significantly mitigated. We conclude that queen-derived hydrocarbon labels inform workers about the presence of a fertile queen and thereby regulate worker reproduction.

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Epidermal glands in the abdomen of a basal ant Dinoponera lucida (Formicidae: Ponerinae)

Serrão

Castro

Zanúncio

et al. 2008

Microscopy Res & Technique

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The basal ant Dinoponera (Hymenoptera: Ponerinae) has lost the morphologic queen caste so that all females may be potential reproductive individuals, and the nestmate recognition results from cuticular hydrocarbons cues. However, data about the origin of that substance in Ponerinae ants are scarce. This study reports the occurrence of epidermal glands in the abdomen of the ant Dinoponera lucida. In this ant, the epidermis of the abdominal sternites has tall cells with well-developed nucleus contrasting with flattened and collapsed epidermis in the tergites, suggesting a glandular function in the epidermis of the sternites. The possible role of the glandular epidermis in the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons for the nestmate recognition is discussed.

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Queen reproduction, chemical signalling and worker behaviour in polygyne colonies of the ant Formica fusca

Cited by 77 publications

References 42 publications

Informational constraints on optimal sex allocation in ants

Informational constraints on optimal sex allocation in ants

Surface hydrocarbons of queen eggs regulate worker reproduction in a social insect

Epidermal glands in the abdomen of a basal ant Dinoponera lucida (Formicidae: Ponerinae)

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