▪ Abstract Social Hymenoptera show two contrasting strategies of colony reproduction. A
reproductive female can raise the first generation of brood alone (independent foundation) …

Female ants display a wide variety of morphological castes, including workers, soldiers,
ergatoid (worker-like) queens and queens. Alternative caste development within a species …

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the endocrine control of insect polyphenism.
Polyphenism in insects is associated with some of the most striking and successful life …

In contrast to what is generally believed, the reproductive strategies of ants are remarkably
diverse and include such different phenomena, as wingless female and male sexuals …

Many ants have independently evolved castes with novel morphology as well as function,
such as soldiers and permanently wingless (ergatoid) queens. We present a conceptual …

Flight is a one-off event in ants, hence after mating, the wing muscles of winged queens can
function as protein reserves during independent colony foundation (ICF). Another strategy …

Study of social traits in offspring traditionally reflects on interactions in simple family groups,
with famous examples including parent-offspring conflict and sibling rivalry in birds and …

Ant colonies are commonly thought to have a stable and simple family structure, with one or
a few egg-laying queens and their worker daughters. However, recent genetic studies reveal …

Increased habitat fragmentation is one of the major global changes affecting biodiversity. It is
characterised by a decrease in habitat availability and by the isolation of suitable habitat …

Dispersal and establishment strategies are highly variable. Each strategy is associated with
specific costs and benefits, and understanding which factors favour or disfavour a strategy is …