1980/11/15 by David Fletcher, Murray S. Blum, T. V. Whitt +1 · 7 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Plant and animal studies #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Polygyny #Biology #Fire ant #Red imported fire ant #Zoology #Hymenoptera #Ecology #Population #Demography
paper · doi:10.1093/aesa/73.6.658
openalex publication_date 1980/11/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/11
In a survey for multiple-queen colonies of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, 15 colonies were found in Mississippi, but none could be found in Georgia. The 15 contained 476 dealated females (3–63 per colony) of which 87% were shown, partly by direct observation but chiefly by means of oviposition tests, to be functional egg-layers. Dissection of 133 of these females showed that 96% had mature oocytes in their ovarioles and 90% were inseminated. All the queens of the 15 polygynous colonies were less physogastric than queens of monogynous colonies, and individually they laid far fewer eggs, but collectively they produced a significantly greater number of eggs per colony. The significance of polygyny in the North American populations of S. invicta is briefly discussed.