Author
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Vander Meer, Robert - Bob |
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FRITZ, G. - EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIV. |
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Submitted to: Imported Fire Ants Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 3/23/2002 Publication Date: 3/27/2002 Citation: Vander Meer, R.K., Fritz, G.N. Sympatry of Fire Ant Polygyne and Monogyne Social Forms. Proceedings of 2002 Imported Fire Ant Conference. 2002. p. 5-9. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The polygyne form of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, had been thought to occur primarily in discrete and homogeneous populations within areas composed of monogyne colonies. Polygyne queens are inseminated primarily by monogyne-derived males. Therefore, opportunities for female alate insemination might be minimal at the centers of large polygyne populations. We tested the homogeneity of a large polygyne population in North central Florida by examining colonies at six sites located along an East-West transect through this polygyne population. The social form of each colony sampled was determined by an aggression test of workers to the introduction of non-nestmates and by the dissection of males for sterility. Both social forms of S. invicta were present at all collection sites. About 30% of all colonies sampled (N = 333) were determined to be monogyne. The polygyne region in North central Florida is more accurately described as an area where relatively high frequencies of polygyne colonies are interdispersed with single queen colonies. |
