Single-Queen-Founded Nests

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The Society Aims and Objectives Francis L. W.

Environmental Science University of Sussex Diversity of colony life cycles in eusocial Hymenoptera How

of colony kin structure Number queens Number fathers per queen How Colonies Are Founded The Big Picture

swarming) Parasitically Single-Queen-Founded Nests Digging In After Shedding Wings Seed harvester ant

The queen uses her wings to fly from her natal nest on her nuptial flight, but snaps them off when she

1 The Society Aims and Objectives Francis L. W. Ratnieks Social Insects: C1139 Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects Department of Biological & Environmental Science University of Sussex Diversity of colony life cycles in eusocial Hymenoptera How colonies are founded Stages in the colony life cycle Swarming in Honey bees Eciton army ants Diversity of colony kin structure Number queens Number fathers per queen How Colonies Are Founded The Big Picture Colonies can be founded in various ways Single queen Multiple queens Queen(s) + workers (budding, swarming) Parasitically Single-Queen-Founded Nests Digging In After Shedding Wings Seed harvester ant queen from Arizona, Pogonomyrmex, founding nest. The queen uses her wings to fly from her natal nest on her nuptial flight, but snaps them off when she starts nesting. Claustral Colony Founding in Atta Above. Atta queen with her wings. Left. Founder Atta nest. The queen has taken some fungus garden from her natal nest with her so she can found a new garden in her new nest. Claustral Colony Founding Claustral: confined Most ants but not in bees and wasps Queen mates, then snaps off wings and establishes nest Rears first workers using body reserves (fat, flight muscles) First workers often very small (nanitics or minims) Semi-Claustral Nest Founding In the Australian bulldog ant, Myrmecia regularis, the queen does leave the nest she is founding to forage for insect prey to feed her brood.

Mischocyttarus Wasp Nest, Brazil Vespinae Founder Nest Cross section of nest being constructed by a Vespinae wasp queen.

Mischocyttarus Founder Nest Nest being founded by a single Mischocyttarus wasp queen.

Honey Pot Ant Myrmecocystus mimicus Number of Co-Foundress Myrmecocystus Queens Multiple-Queen- Founded Nests Number of

A foundress association of Arizona honeypot ants, Myrmecocystus, with 2 or 3 queens produces many more workers than one with

Two Polistes foundresses In some wasps like Polistes and Halictidae bees there are often two or a few foundresses.

2 Mischocyttarus Wasp Nest, Brazil Vespinae Founder Nest Cross section of nest being constructed by a Vespinae wasp queen. The nest, even at this stage, is enclosed. In Polistes and Mischcyttarus wasps (Polistinae), the cells are not enclosed. Mischocyttarus Founder Nest Nest being founded by a single Mischocyttarus wasp queen. Mischocyttarus are Polistinae paper wasps, and are closely related to Polistes wasps. Honey Pot Ant Myrmecocystus mimicus Number of Co-Foundress Myrmecocystus Queens Multiple-Queen- Founded Nests Number of co-foundresses in 3 years, and close spacing of new nests. Myrmecocystus Foundress Associations Lower right. A foundress association of Arizona honeypot ants, Myrmecocystus, with 2 or 3 queens produces many more workers than one with one queen. However, having more than three co-founding queens does not seem to help. Two Polistes foundresses In some wasps like Polistes and Halictidae bees there are often two or a few foundresses. They are usually sisters and one is dominant, doing most of the egg laying, while the other is subordinate and does most of the risky foraging. Remember, Polistes do not have a morphological queen caste but here is behavioural specialisation From Oster & Wilson 1978 Colony Life Cycles

Nests Founded by Queen & Workers Budding In many ants Daughter colony is close beside the parent colony. Budding often occurs in colonies than have multiple queens. Example: Formica wood ants.

Honey Bee Swarming Honey Bee Swarming Mother queen and 2/3 workers leave nest in prime swarm Swarming season is April-June in England Settle in Bush Scout out nest cavities (use of waggle dance)

3 Nests Founded by Queen & Workers Budding In many ants Daughter colony is close beside the parent colony. Budding often occurs in colonies than have multiple queens. Example: Formica wood ants. In some locations there may be many colonies (ant hills) with visible trails between them. Honey Bee Swarming Honey Bee Swarming Mother queen and 2/3 workers leave nest in prime swarm Swarming season is April-June in England Settle in Bush Scout out nest cavities (use of waggle dance) Chose one and move in Build wax combs use wax from glands Swarm Founded Wasp Nest Small swarm of Apis mellifera, c bees, in a bush. In original nest queen pupae One young queen will inherit the original nest Zero to a few young queens may leave in after swarms This is the recently founded nest of the a Brazilian wasp Protopolybia (Vespidae: Polistinae: Epiponini). It is being build on the underside of a banana leaf. The wasps build a comb then cover it in an envelope. Other Founding Strategies Other Founding Strategies Nest usurpation: steal nest being founded by conspecific queen common in Vespinae wasps and Bombus Workerless parasitic species Take over nest founded by another species Workers of other species rear your brood Vespula austriaca takes over Vespula rufa V. a. mandibles designed for fighting not working Temporary social parasites Many ant species Species has workers but queen enters nest of another species to found her nest Colony Life History

Annual & Perennial Colonies Annual Founded in spring by queen(s) Dies in late summer or autum that year Produces workers then queen & males Inseminated queens

year ants, termites, honey bees, stingless bees, Epiponii Book by Oster & Wilson 1978 Stages in Colony Life History Stages in life history of a generalized ant

Ergonomic Workers present Colony growing but rearing only workers Reproductive Colony is producing queens and males Orphaned/queenless Queen dead Workers

mellifera queen has massive ovaries with hundreds of ovarioles, and can lay up to 2000 eggs per day.

The workers have smaller ovaries, a vestigial spermatheca, and cannot mate.

4 Annual & Perennial Colonies Annual Founded in spring by queen(s) Dies in late summer or autum that year Produces workers then queen & males Inseminated queens overwinter Vespinae, Polistes wasps, bumble bees, Halictidae bees Perennial Can live for more than one year Usually produces queens & males in more than one year ants, termites, honey bees, stingless bees, Epiponii Book by Oster & Wilson 1978 Stages in Colony Life History Stages in life history of a generalized ant colony. From Oster & Wilson F = founder, E = ergonomic, R = reproductive Stages in Colony Life History Founder Queen(s) and brood only. Ergonomic Workers present Colony growing but rearing only workers Reproductive Colony is producing queens and males Orphaned/queenless Queen dead Workers activate ovaries, rear batch of males Colony dwindles and dies Queenless Stage Honey Bee: Female Reproductive Systems queen worker ovaries spermatheca An Apis mellifera queen has massive ovaries with hundreds of ovarioles, and can lay up to 2000 eggs per day. She has a large spherical spermstorage organ in which she can keep sperm alive for years. The workers have smaller ovaries, a vestigial spermatheca, and cannot mate. Apis mellifera Worker-Laid Eggs American Army Ant Eciton burchelli Workers lay many eggs in queenless colonies. In the honey bee less than 0.1% of the workers in a colony with a queen have active ovaries, versus up to 50% in queenless colonies. The Highly Specialized Colony Life History of Eciton Army Ants The soldiers (left) have massive head and jaws with curved back tips. The workers are practically blind.

Eciton Foragers Carrying Prey Item Eciton Raid Patterns The column raid of Eciton hamatum (left) is adapted to attacking a few well-defended prey like nests of other social insects.

The queen s abdomen is enlarged to lay many eggs. The bivouac stays in the same location for many days and sends out a raiding column each day at a different angle. Nomadic.

Eciton Queen During Statary Phase The queen s abdomen is physogastric (swollen).the ovaries are active and she can lay many eggs, many thousand per day.

The bivouac of worker ants divide, with about half going with the mother queen and half going with one of the sister queens. The colony is also rearing males.

Kin Stucture Kin Structure A description of a colony in terms of family relationships e.g., workers are offspring of one queen mated to one male.

5 Eciton Foragers Carrying Prey Item Eciton Raid Patterns The column raid of Eciton hamatum (left) is adapted to attacking a few well-defended prey like nests of other social insects. The swarm raid of E. burchelli (right) is for flushing out prey in a large area. Eciton Statary & Nomadic Phases The colony goes between regular statary and nomadic phases. Statary. The brood are mostly eggs and pupae and do not need feeding. The queen s abdomen is enlarged to lay many eggs. The bivouac stays in the same location for many days and sends out a raiding column each day at a different angle. Nomadic. The brood are in the larval stage and need feeding. The bivouac moves every day to the end of the raiding column, to a new foraging area. Eciton Queen During Statary Phase The queen s abdomen is physogastric (swollen).the ovaries are active and she can lay many eggs, many thousand per day. Movement of an Eciton Colony, Panama nomadic statary statary Eciton hamatum Colony Division Prior to colony division a few young queens are reared. The bivouac of worker ants divide, with about half going with the mother queen and half going with one of the sister queens. The colony is also rearing males. A colony divides only every year or so. Queens are wingless. Males from other colonies enter the bivouac and mate the young queens. Kin Stucture Kin Structure A description of a colony in terms of family relationships e.g., workers are offspring of one queen mated to one male. A description in terms of relatedness e.g. relatedness among workers is 0.75 Note: different kin structures may give the same relatedness multiple mating by a single queen multiple queens in a nest these both reduce relatedness among workers Main Types of Kin Structure One queen mated to one male One queen mated to two males..to many males More than one queen

Days and Tasks. Ellen Miller December 2015

Days and Tasks. Ellen Miller December 2015 Days and Tasks Ellen Miller December 2015 Goal Gain a better understanding of the different tasks performed by the honeybee at certain stages in its life. Introduction Life span after emergence varies