Cofoundress relatedness and group productivity in colonies of socialDunatothrips(Insecta: Thysanoptera) on AustralianAcacia.
Facultative joint colony founding by social insects provides opportunities to analyze the roles of genetic and ecological factors in the evolution of cooperation. Although cooperative nesting is observed in range of social insect taxa, the most detailed studies of this behavior have been conducted with Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps). Here, we show that foundress associations in the haplodiploid social thripsDunatothrips aneurae(Insecta: Thysanoptera) are most often comprised of close relatives (sisters), though groups with unrelated foundresses are also found. Associations among relatives appear to be facilitated by limited female dispersal, which results in viscous population structure. In addition, we found that per capita productivity declined with increasing group size, sex ratios were female-biased, and some female offspring apparently remained in their natal domicile for some time following eclosion.D. aneuraethus exhibits a suite of similarities with eusocial Hymenoptera, providing evidence for the convergent evolution of associated social and life-history traits in Hymenoptera and Thysanoptera.
Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
Jeremy M
JM
Bono
Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
Bernard J
BJ
Crespi
Evolution of cooperation; Life history; Pleometrosis; Sex ratio; Social evolution