Kin structure and queen execution in the Argentine ant Linepithema humile

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Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Kin structure and queen execution in the Argentine ant Linepithema humile
Journal
Journal of evolutionary Biology
Author(s)
Reuter M., Balloux F., Lehmann L., Keller L.
ISSN
1010-061X
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2001
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
14
Number
6
Pages
954-958
Language
english
Notes
IZEAIDB8244BA9C98A_
Abstract
Every spring, workers of the Argentine Ant Linepithema humile kill a large proportion of queens within their nests, Although this behaviour inflicts a high energetic cost oil the colonies, its biological significance has remained elusive so far. An earlier study showed that the probability of a queen being executed is not related to her weight, fecundity, or age. Here we test the hypothesis that workers collectively eliminate queens to which they are less related, thereby increasing their inclusive fitness. We found no evidence for this hypothesis. Workers of a nest were on average not significantly less related to executed queens than to surviving ones. Moreover, a population genetic analysis revealed that workers were not genetically differentiated between nests. This means that workers of a given nest are equally related to any queen in the population and that there can be no increase in average worker-queen relatedness by selective elimination of queens. Finally, our genetic analyses also showed that, in contrast to workers, queens were significantly genetically differentiated between nests and that there was significant isolation by distance for queens.
Keywords
hymenoptera kin selection population structure social insects spite unicoloniality iridomyrmex-humilis french population hymenoptera insects
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
19/11/2007 9:27
Last modification date
20/08/2019 12:25
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