Worker policing and nest mate recognition in the ant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Formica fusca</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Heikki Helanterä Liselotte Sundström |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. BOX 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;(2) Present address: Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK |
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Abstract: | A conflict over male production arises in social insects where workers are able to lay unfertilized male eggs. This happens
because each female (queen or worker) is most closely related to her own sons and is thus predicted to reproduce. The conflict
is modulated by worker policing where workers prevent each other from reproducing by aggression or egg cannibalism. In this
study, we show that in the ant Formica fusca, worker policing occurs by egg cannibalism rather than by overt aggression among workers. Furthermore, we show that, contrary
to bees, wasps and other ant species, egg discrimination in F. fusca is not based only on a universal queen signature chemical and that nest mate recognition of eggs occurs. |
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Keywords: | Formica Hymenoptera Worker policing Social conflict Nest mate recognition Social insect |
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