Two independent mechanisms of egg recognition in worker <Emphasis Type="Italic">Formica fusca</Emphasis> ants |
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Authors: | Heikki Helanterä Francis L W Ratnieks |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, S10 2TN, UK;(2) Present address: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;(3) Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK |
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Abstract: | Informational constraints can be an important limitation on the accuracy of recognition. One potential constraint is the use
of recognition information from the same sources in multiple discriminatory contexts. Worker wood ants, Formica fusca, discriminate eggs based on their maternal sources of origin in two main contexts: recognition of eggs laid by nestmate versus
non-nestmate queens and recognition of worker-laid versus queen-laid eggs. We manipulated the experience of F. fusca workers in laboratory colonies to both worker-laid and queen-laid eggs by transferring eggs between colonies in order to
investigate whether these two contexts of egg discrimination are independent. Experience of non-nestmate queen-laid eggs significantly
increased worker acceptance of both familiar (18% accepted) and unfamiliar (10%) queen-laid eggs compared to control workers
without experience of eggs other than those laid by their own colony’s queen (2%). In contrast, worker acceptance of worker-laid
eggs was not affected by variation in the egg experience of workers (14% in workers from control colonies exposed only to
eggs from their own colony’s queen versus 19% and 17% in workers from colonies which had received eggs laid by either a non-nestmate
queen or nestmate workers, respectively). Our results suggest that these two recognition contexts do not strongly constrain
each other and are different in their ontogeny. In particular, worker-laid eggs are universally discriminated against by workers
from colonies with a queen whatever the egg experience of the workers, while non-nestmate queen-laid eggs are strongly discriminated
against only by workers without experience of eggs laid by more than one queen. |
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Keywords: | Formica fusca Worker policing Nestmate recognition Kin selection Information Social evolution |
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