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Published on: October 5, 2018
Genetic components to caste allocation in a multiple-queen ant species
Romain Libbrecht1, Tanja Schwander, Laurent Keller
1Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. romain.libbrecht@unil.ch
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|October 5, 2011
Summary
Genetic factors influence caste allocation in Argentine ants. Paternal lineage affects queen and worker production, while interactions between lineages impact queen, male, and female proportions, revealing genetic compatibility effects.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Behavioral ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Social insects exhibit reproductive division of labor and distinct castes.
- In multiple-queen societies, nestmate queen fitness depends on caste allocation (queen, worker, male production).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic components of caste allocation in the multiple-queen Argentine ant (Linepithema humile).
Main Methods:
- Controlled crosses were performed in Linepithema humile.
- Single-queen colonies were established to assess maternal and paternal family effects on caste production.
Main Results:
- Parental genetic backgrounds significantly affected caste allocation.
- Paternal lineage influenced the proportion of queens and workers.
- Interactions between parental lineages affected queen/male and female/male proportions.
Conclusions:
- Nonadditive genetic effects play a role in female caste determination in this species.
- Strong genetic compatibility effects between parental genomes influence caste allocation components.
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