Queen size mediates queen survival and colony fitness in harvester ants.
We examined the effect of queen size on the probability of new colony establishment in the ant Pogonomyrmex occidentalis. Large queens are significantly more likely to survive than small queens through the initial stages of colony founding. These differences in individual fitness correlates have corresponding effects on colony fitness. In species in which individual queens vary in fitness, sexual allocation ratios should incorporate the individual fitness functions.
Wiernasz
Diane C
DC
Program in Evolution and Ecology, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5001, USA. dwiernasz@uh.edu
Cole
Blaine J
BJ
D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology*; D001824:Body Constitution; D005260:Female; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D016019:Survival Analysis