Tradeoffs in the evolution of caste and body size in the hyperdiverse ant genus Pheidole.

ABSTRACT: The efficient investment of resources is often the route to ecological success, and the adaptability of resource investment may play a critical role in promoting biodiversity. The ants of the "hyperdiverse" genus Pheidole produce two discrete sterile castes, soldiers and minor workers. Within Pheidole, there is tremendous interspecific variation in proportion of soldiers. The causes and correlates of caste ratio variation among species of Pheidole remain enigmatic. Here we test whether a body size threshold model accounts for interspecific variation in caste ratio in Pheidole, such that species with larger body sizes produce relatively fewer soldiers within their colonies. We evaluated the caste ratio of 26 species of Pheidole and found that the body size of workers accounts for interspeci

SUBMITTER: McGlynn TP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3485035 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature