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Worker ants control sex investments based on relatedness. Colonies with lower relatedness asymmetry favor males, while higher asymmetry favors females, potentially creating bimodal sex ratios in ants.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Social insects

Background:

  • Worker control over sex allocation is crucial in eusocial Hymenoptera.
  • Relatedness asymmetry varies among ant colonies due to factors like multiple mating and polygyny.
  • Workers' ability to assess and respond to relatedness asymmetry influences their reproductive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To predict how worker-controlled sex investments are influenced by variable relatedness asymmetry within ant colonies.
  • To investigate the potential for bimodal distribution of colony sex ratios based on workers' relatedness assessment.
  • To test theoretical predictions using comparative data on ant colony sex ratios.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical modeling of worker reproductive strategies based on inclusive fitness maximization.
  • Analysis of relatedness asymmetry in ant colonies considering multiple mating, worker reproduction, and polygyny.
  • Comparative review of existing data on colony sex ratios in various ant species.

Main Results:

  • Workers assessing relatedness asymmetry are predicted to specialize in producing the sex to which they are most related.
  • Colonies with below-average relatedness asymmetry are predicted to specialize in males, and those with above-average asymmetry in females.
  • Bimodal distribution of colony sex ratios is expected in populations with variable relatedness asymmetry, but not in species with constant relatedness or queen control.

Conclusions:

  • The study's predictions suggest that variable relatedness asymmetry can lead to specialized sex investments by workers and potentially bimodal sex ratios.
  • Comparative data partly support the theoretical contentions, but further evidence is needed for decisive conclusions.
  • The findings highlight the importance of relatedness asymmetry and worker assessment in shaping social insect reproductive strategies.