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Influence of virgin queens on kin recognition in the carpenter antCamponotus floridanus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Der Einfluss unbegatteter Königinnen auf das Verwandtenerkennen bei der RossameiseCamponotus floridanus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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Summary

Camponotus spp. workers reared in queenless groups recognize non-nestmate kin, apparently by shared heritable chemical cues or “discriminators”, while workers reared in the presence of mated queens acquire labels which superoede such recognition. Whether queen-derived labels are themselves discriminators has not been examined previously. Groups of sister or unrelated workers ofC. floridanus were adopted to sister or unrelated virgin queens, and recognition among non-nestmate adoptees was assayed in neutral arena encounters. Interactions were significantly less aggressive among workers whose queens were sisters than among those whose queens were not, indicating that their acquired recognition cues are queen discriminators.

Zusammenfassung

Arbeiterinnen vonCamponotus spp., die in weisellosen Gruppen aufgezogen wurden, erkennen nestfremde Verwandte anscheinend auf grund von genetisch bedingten chemischen Abzeichen oder “Diskriminatoren”, während Arbeiterinnen, die in Gegenwart einer Königen gehalten werden, von der Königin Abzeichen annehmen, die ein solches Verwandtenerkennen verhindern. Wir untersuchten, inwieweit diese von der Königin stammenden Abzeichen ebenfalls genetisch bedingte chemische Marken darstellen. Dazu wurdenC. floridanus Arbeitergruppen, bestehend aus genetischen Geschwistern, oder nicht verwandten Tieren, in Gegenwart jeweils einer nicht begatteten Königin aufgezogen. Die Königinnen waren entweder Schwestern oder stammten aus verschiedenen, weit entfernten Nestern. In neutralen Arenatests wurde geprüft, inwieweit sich Angehörige verschiedener Adoptionsgruppen als Geschwister erkennen können. Dabei zeigte sich, dass Arbeiterinnen aus Gruppen, deren Adoptions-Königinnen Schwestern waren, sich weniger aggressiv zueinander verhielten, als Arbeiterinnen deren Adoptions-Königinnen aus verschiedenen Nestern stammten. Das legt den Schluss nahe, dass die von Königinnen übertragenen Abzeichen echte Diskriminatoren darstellen.

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Carlin, N.F., Hölldobler, B. Influence of virgin queens on kin recognition in the carpenter antCamponotus floridanus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ins. Soc 35, 191–197 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223932

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223932

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