Meeting Abstract
Primary polygyny, the cooperation of multiple unrelated queens in a social insect colony, has been documented in multiple taxa but is poorly understood as a behavioral phenomenon. The harvester ant Pogonomyrmex californicus has geographically distinct populations dominated by either monogynous (single queen) or polygynous colonies. Little is known about how cooperative queens divide reproduction or associated fecundity costs, but this information is vital to understand how this cooperative behavior has evolved. We examine primary polygyny by capturing entire mating flights of monogynous and polygynous P.californicus colonies and comparing their reproductive characteristics. Data from three annual mating flights indicate a lower per-queen reproductive output as well as a male biased sex investment in polygynous colonies, suggesting a considerable fecundity cost to queens that participate in primary polygyny. We also use microsatellite markers to determine per-queen reproductive and workforce contribution. Preliminary genetic data shows that some queens produce a larger proportion of the mating flight than they do the workforce, suggesting subtle conflict within the colony.
