title: Colony sex ratios in the facultatively polygynous ant Pheidole pallidula: a reanalysis with new data.
abstract: A recent study by Fournier et al. (2003) provides important new information on sex allocation in the ant Pheidole pallidula, and proposes a new scenario for sex-ratio evolution in P. pallidula and similar species. However, Helms proposed to the authors that two important conclusions of the study were questionable because of potential problems with the analyses. Here we provide new data and a reanalysis that strengthens the conclusion that colony sex ratio is associated with breeding system (i.e., polygyny or monogyny). However, the proposal that colonies shift from monogyny to polygyny when they become larger and more productive is weakened because there is substantial overlap in productivity between monogynous and polygynous colonies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Entomology Research Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2475, USA. khelms@neo.tamu.edu
authors.forename: Ken R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Helms
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Passera
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D018533:Biomass; D005602:France; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012930:Social Dominance