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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Evaluation of the Productivity of Social Wasp Colonies (Vespinae) and an Introduction to the Traditional Japanese Vespula Wasp Hunting Technique
07:17

Evaluation of the Productivity of Social Wasp Colonies (Vespinae) and an Introduction to the Traditional Japanese Vespula Wasp Hunting Technique

Published on: September 11, 2019

The Fecundity-Longevity Trade-Off in a Clonal Eusocial Insect: In Isolation, Subordinate Workers Match Dominants in

Piuli Shit1, Jürgen Heinze1, Abel Bernadou2

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

The American Naturalist
|May 26, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

In the ant Platythyrea punctata, most workers can reproduce when isolated, challenging typical reproductive division of labor. Social rank influences reproductive ability, but not fecundity-longevity trade-offs.

Keywords:
antscost of reproductiondivision of laboregg qualitylife history

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Published on: October 5, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Entomology

Background:

  • Reproductive division of labor (DOL) is crucial for eusocial insects, with queens reproducing and workers performing other tasks.
  • DOL often correlates with a trade-off between fecundity and longevity, favoring queens.
  • In Platythyrea punctata ants, females are identical, and dominant workers reproduce via parthenogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if all workers, regardless of social rank, reproduce when given the opportunity.
  • To explore potential differences in reproductive ability among workers.
  • To examine the fecundity-longevity trade-off in isolated workers.

Main Methods:

  • Formed dyads of same-aged workers to establish social rank orders.
  • Isolated workers individually to assess reproductive performance.
  • Monitored ovarian activation and egg-laying rates over time.

Main Results:

  • Nearly 88% of workers activated ovaries in isolation, irrespective of social rank.
  • A small percentage (12%) of subordinates failed to lay eggs, suggesting rank-related reproductive differences.
  • Isolated subordinates that reproduced showed similar egg-laying rates to dominants, with no apparent fecundity-longevity trade-off.
  • Egg-laying rates declined over time in isolation, indicating reproductive costs.

Conclusions:

  • Reproductive capacity can vary among workers in P. punctata, influenced by social status.
  • The typical fecundity-longevity trade-off may not apply uniformly in this species.
  • Social support influences reproductive costs and sustainability in eusocial insects.