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Queens control caste allocation in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior

Eva Schultner1, Tobias Wallner1, Benjamin Dofka1

  • 1Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|February 7, 2023
PubMed

Insights

In ants like Cardiocondyla obscurior, queens control caste allocation, not workers. This study identifies a new trait, crystalline deposits, to distinguish ant castes from the egg stage.

Area of Science:

  • * Social insect behavior and reproductive conflict.
  • * Evolutionary biology and caste determination.

Background:

  • * Reproductive conflict can arise in social insects when queens and workers have differing fitness optima.
  • * Previous research indicates queen control over sex allocation in some species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate queen control over caste allocation in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior.
  • * To identify traits that differentiate queen and worker castes during development.

Main Methods:

  • * Observation of caste differentiation in Cardiocondyla obscurior from the egg stage.
  • * Comparative analysis of queen- and worker-destined eggs and larvae, including size, weight, morphology, and cuticular odors.
  • * Behavioral assays of adult worker interactions with developing larvae.

Main Results:

  • * Crystalline deposits were identified as a discrete trait distinguishing castes from the egg stage onwards.
  • * Size and weight differences were observed in late-stage queen and worker larvae, but not in hair morphology or cuticular odors.
  • * Adult workers treated developing queens and workers indiscriminately.

Conclusions:

  • * Queens possess control over queen-worker caste allocation in Cardiocondyla obscurior.
  • * The findings suggest aligned fitness interests for optimal resource allocation within the colony.
  • * Crystalline deposits represent a novel marker for ant caste identification during pre-imaginal development.

Keywords:
caste determinationconflictcooperationsocial evolutionsuperorganism

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