Queens control caste allocation in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior.

ABSTRACT: Social insect queens and workers can engage in conflict over reproductive allocation when they have different fitness optima. Here, we show that queens have control over queen-worker caste allocation in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, a species in which workers lack reproductive organs. We describe crystalline deposits that distinguish castes from the egg stage onwards, providing the first report of a discrete trait that can be used to identify ant caste throughout pre-imaginal development. The comparison of queen and worker-destined eggs and larvae revealed size and weight differences in late development, but no discernible differences in traits that may be used in social interactions, including hair morphology and cuticular odours. In line with a lack of caste-specific traits, ad

SUBMITTER: Schultner E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9904955 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature