ConclusionĪggression is probably ritualised and contests are decided by workers based on relative queen fertility. ![]() Mandibular ablation had no effect on queen behaviour or contest outcome. Resultsįirst emerged queens were heavier than second emerged queens, performed almost all aggression, were behaviourally dominant 92% of the time, and prevailed in 76% of groups after co-existing for 16 days on average. We investigated the importance of physical dominance in queen selection in orphaned groups by manipulating the fighting ability of first-born queens via mandibular ablation. First-born queens are usually behaviourally dominant over subsequent queens, and eventually inherit the colony. Aphaenogaster senilis is a monogynous, monandrous, fission performing ant, in which queen selection occurs during colony fission and when replacement queens are produced to overcome orphaning. The outcome of the contest is critical to the fitness of all colony individuals as most are sterile, and thus represents a conflict at multiple levels. Queen selection in social insect colonies represents a high-stakes conflict where competition occurs among multiple queens for a few or a single reproductive role(s). ![]() ![]() Many animals face some form of conflict over reproductive opportunities.
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