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Aggressions and size-related fecundity of queenless workers in the ant Cataglyphis cursor

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Abstract

In social hymenoptera, the reproductive division of labor is often linked to differences in individual body size with the reproductive caste (the queen) being larger than the workers. Likewise, the reproductive potential may vary with size within the worker caste and could affect the evolution of worker size in social insects. Here, we tested the relationship between worker size and reproductive potential in the facultative parthenogenetic ant Cataglyphis cursor. Colonies are headed by a multiply mated queen, but workers can produce gynes (virgin queens) and workers by thelytokous parthenogenesis after the queen’s death. We observed the behaviour of workers (n = 357) until the production of gynes (212 h over 3 months) in an orphaned colony (mated queen not present). The size of workers was measured, and their paternal lineage determined using six microsatellite markers, to control for an effect of patriline. Larger workers were more likely to reproduce and lay more eggs indicating that individual level selection could take place. However, paternal lineage had no effect on the reproductive potential and worker size. From the behavioural and genetic data, we also show for the first time in this species, evidence of aggressive interactions among workers and a potential for nepotism to occur in orphaned colonies, as the five gynes produced belonged to a single paternal lineage.

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Cournault and B. Viginier for their valuable help during the field work, H. Magalon, T. Monnin, C. Tirard, C.W. Torres and E. van Wilgenburg for their helpful comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by a French research grant “Action concertée incitative jeunes chercheurs 2001” ACI N°5183. The experiments performed in this study comply with the current laws of France.

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  1. Laboratoire Fonctionnement et Evolution des Systèmes Ecologiques, UMR CNRS 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Bat A, 7ème étage, CC 237, 7 quai Saint-Bernard, F-75252, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    Johanna Clémencet, Quentin Rome, Pierre Fédérici & Claudie Doums

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  1. Johanna Clémencet
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  2. Quentin Rome
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  3. Pierre Fédérici
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  4. Claudie Doums
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Correspondence to Johanna Clémencet.

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Clémencet, J., Rome, Q., Fédérici, P. et al. Aggressions and size-related fecundity of queenless workers in the ant Cataglyphis cursor . Naturwissenschaften 95, 133–139 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-007-0304-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-007-0304-5

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