Inferring polydomy: a review of functional, spatial and genetic methods for identifying colony boundaries

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Behavioral Ecology

Background:

• Social insect colonies, particularly ants, often exhibit polydomy, inhabiting multiple nests.
• Accurately defining colony boundaries is crucial for ecological and evolutionary studies of these species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and categorize methods for identifying nests belonging to the same polydomous colony.
• To provide a comparative analysis of different approaches for determining colony boundaries.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of methods into three main approaches: resource sharing, spatial proximity, and genetic relatedness.
• Discussion of the theoretical underpinnings, limitations, and practical implementation of each method.

Main Results:

• Each approach (resource, space, gene sharing) has distinct merits and weaknesses.
• A methodological comparison is provided to guide researchers in selecting appropriate tools.

Conclusions:

• No single method is universally superior for defining polydomous colony boundaries.
• The choice of method should be tailored to the specific biological question and study system.