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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
06:44
Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi
Published on: October 5, 2018
Male parentage in army ants
Daniel J C Kronauer1, Caspar Schöning, Jacobus J Boomsma
1Institute of Biology, Department of Population Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. djkronauer@bi.ku.dk
Molecular Ecology
|April 8, 2006
Summary
In army ants, workers rarely reproduce when the queen is present. This finding aligns with inclusive fitness theory, suggesting relatedness influences reproductive decisions in social insects.
Area of Science:
- Insect sociobiology
- Evolutionary biology
- Behavioral ecology
Background:
- Workers in social insects often retain the ability to produce male offspring.
- The circumstances and conflict resolution surrounding worker reproduction are key research areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate worker reproduction in the African army ant, Dorylus (Anomma) molestus.
- To determine if workers reproduce in the presence of the queen.
Main Methods:
- Microsatellite genotyping of 176 males from eight D. (A.) molestus colonies.
- Comparison of male genotypes with worker and inferred queen genotypes.
Main Results:
- Workers were found to reproduce very rarely, if at all, in the presence of the queen.
- Queens of this species are highly multiply mated.
Conclusions:
- The observed worker sterility is consistent with inclusive fitness theory predictions.
- Worker relatedness to queen sons versus other workers' sons may explain reproductive restraint.
- The exact mechanism maintaining worker sterility (policing or self-restraint) remains undetermined.
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