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COLONY SEX RATIOS IN THE FACULTATIVELY POLYGYNOUS ANT PHEIDOLE PALLIDULA: A REANALYSIS WITH NEW DATA
Author(s) -
Helms Ken R.,
Fournier Denis,
Keller Laurent,
Passera Luc,
Aron Serge
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2004.tb00448.x
Subject(s) - polygyny , biology , pheidole , hymenoptera , sex ratio , eusociality , ecology , zoology , demography , sociology , population
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.