Efficient Allocation of Labor Maximizes Brood Development and Explains Why Intermediate-Sized Groups Perform Best During Colony-Founding in the Ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus

Cooperation in nature is usually between relatives, but unrelated individuals can also cooperate, requiring significant benefits to outweigh the costs of helping non-kin. Unrelated queens of the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus, work together to found a new colony, a phenomenon known as pleometrosis....

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zachary J. Shaffer, Sara Dreyer, Rebecca M. Clark, Stephen C. Pratt, Jennifer H. Fewell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.768752/full
_version_ 1818897015359143936
author Zachary J. Shaffer
Sara Dreyer
Rebecca M. Clark
Stephen C. Pratt
Jennifer H. Fewell
author_facet Zachary J. Shaffer
Sara Dreyer
Rebecca M. Clark
Stephen C. Pratt
Jennifer H. Fewell
author_sort Zachary J. Shaffer
collection DOAJ
description Cooperation in nature is usually between relatives, but unrelated individuals can also cooperate, requiring significant benefits to outweigh the costs of helping non-kin. Unrelated queens of the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus, work together to found a new colony, a phenomenon known as pleometrosis. While previous studies have shown that pleometrosis improves queen survival and worker production, little is known of the behavioral interactions within nests that explain these advantages. We aimed to determine how the optimal group size for a small, simple social group is related to group productivity and the organization of work. Collecting queens from a known pleometrotic population, we established nests with either one, three, six, or nine foundresses and observed the resulting nascent colonies for 50 days. We found that queens in social founding groups survived longer and had higher productivity. While all social groups were equally successful in producing workers, intermediate-sized groups were most successful in terms of per capita production. Inactivity increased with group size. In addition, the proportion of essential colony growth tasks performed (such as foraging and brood care) was lowest in both solitary-founded groups and in groups of nine queens. As a result, intermediate sized groups outperformed both solitary queens and groups of nine in the efficiency with which they converted eggs into workers. These results emphasize the benefits of cooperation and the ways in which group size can influence fitness and the allocation of labor in social groups.
first_indexed 2024-12-19T19:09:27Z
format Article
id doaj.art-6ec34bc8fdf94066b96e11d9c0d96491
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2296-701X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-19T19:09:27Z
publishDate 2022-02-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
spelling doaj.art-6ec34bc8fdf94066b96e11d9c0d964912022-12-21T20:09:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2022-02-011010.3389/fevo.2022.768752768752Efficient Allocation of Labor Maximizes Brood Development and Explains Why Intermediate-Sized Groups Perform Best During Colony-Founding in the Ant, Pogonomyrmex californicusZachary J. Shaffer0Sara Dreyer1Rebecca M. Clark2Stephen C. Pratt3Jennifer H. Fewell4School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United StatesUnited States Navy/Naval Hospital, Okinawa, JapanBiology Department, Siena College, Loudonville, NY, United StatesSchool of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United StatesSchool of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United StatesCooperation in nature is usually between relatives, but unrelated individuals can also cooperate, requiring significant benefits to outweigh the costs of helping non-kin. Unrelated queens of the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus, work together to found a new colony, a phenomenon known as pleometrosis. While previous studies have shown that pleometrosis improves queen survival and worker production, little is known of the behavioral interactions within nests that explain these advantages. We aimed to determine how the optimal group size for a small, simple social group is related to group productivity and the organization of work. Collecting queens from a known pleometrotic population, we established nests with either one, three, six, or nine foundresses and observed the resulting nascent colonies for 50 days. We found that queens in social founding groups survived longer and had higher productivity. While all social groups were equally successful in producing workers, intermediate-sized groups were most successful in terms of per capita production. Inactivity increased with group size. In addition, the proportion of essential colony growth tasks performed (such as foraging and brood care) was lowest in both solitary-founded groups and in groups of nine queens. As a result, intermediate sized groups outperformed both solitary queens and groups of nine in the efficiency with which they converted eggs into workers. These results emphasize the benefits of cooperation and the ways in which group size can influence fitness and the allocation of labor in social groups.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.768752/fullant foundressescooperative nest-foundingpleometrosisPogonomyrmex californicusseed-harvester ants
spellingShingle Zachary J. Shaffer
Sara Dreyer
Rebecca M. Clark
Stephen C. Pratt
Jennifer H. Fewell
Efficient Allocation of Labor Maximizes Brood Development and Explains Why Intermediate-Sized Groups Perform Best During Colony-Founding in the Ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
ant foundresses
cooperative nest-founding
pleometrosis
Pogonomyrmex californicus
seed-harvester ants
title Efficient Allocation of Labor Maximizes Brood Development and Explains Why Intermediate-Sized Groups Perform Best During Colony-Founding in the Ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus
title_full Efficient Allocation of Labor Maximizes Brood Development and Explains Why Intermediate-Sized Groups Perform Best During Colony-Founding in the Ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus
title_fullStr Efficient Allocation of Labor Maximizes Brood Development and Explains Why Intermediate-Sized Groups Perform Best During Colony-Founding in the Ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus
title_full_unstemmed Efficient Allocation of Labor Maximizes Brood Development and Explains Why Intermediate-Sized Groups Perform Best During Colony-Founding in the Ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus
title_short Efficient Allocation of Labor Maximizes Brood Development and Explains Why Intermediate-Sized Groups Perform Best During Colony-Founding in the Ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus
title_sort efficient allocation of labor maximizes brood development and explains why intermediate sized groups perform best during colony founding in the ant pogonomyrmex californicus
topic ant foundresses
cooperative nest-founding
pleometrosis
Pogonomyrmex californicus
seed-harvester ants
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.768752/full
work_keys_str_mv AT zacharyjshaffer efficientallocationoflabormaximizesbrooddevelopmentandexplainswhyintermediatesizedgroupsperformbestduringcolonyfoundingintheantpogonomyrmexcalifornicus
AT saradreyer efficientallocationoflabormaximizesbrooddevelopmentandexplainswhyintermediatesizedgroupsperformbestduringcolonyfoundingintheantpogonomyrmexcalifornicus
AT rebeccamclark efficientallocationoflabormaximizesbrooddevelopmentandexplainswhyintermediatesizedgroupsperformbestduringcolonyfoundingintheantpogonomyrmexcalifornicus
AT stephencpratt efficientallocationoflabormaximizesbrooddevelopmentandexplainswhyintermediatesizedgroupsperformbestduringcolonyfoundingintheantpogonomyrmexcalifornicus
AT jenniferhfewell efficientallocationoflabormaximizesbrooddevelopmentandexplainswhyintermediatesizedgroupsperformbestduringcolonyfoundingintheantpogonomyrmexcalifornicus