6533b81ffe1ef96bd1277dde

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Life history evolution in social insects: a female perspective

Evelien JongepierBarbara FeldmeyerMatteo Antoine NegroniBoris H. KramerSusanne Foitzik

subject

0106 biological sciences0301 basic medicineInsectaHARVESTER ANTmedia_common.quotation_subjectLongevityHYMENOPTERAFertilityCOLONY SIZEKin selectionBiology010603 evolutionary biology01 natural sciencesLife history theory03 medical and health sciencesAnimalsJuvenileSocial BehaviorEUSOCIALITYLife History TraitsEcology Evolution Behavior and Systematicsmedia_commonBehavior AnimalEcologyKIN SELECTIONLongevityWORKERSQUEENSPANFecundityEusocialityREPRODUCTIONFertility030104 developmental biologyInsect ScienceANT COLONIESFemaleDivision of labour

description

Social insects are known for their unusual life histories with fecund, long-lived queens and sterile, short-lived workers. We review ultimate factors underlying variation in life history strategies in female social insects, whose social life reshapes common trade-offs, such as the one between fecundity and longevity. Interspecific life history variation is associated with colony size, mediated by changes in division of labour and extrinsic mortality. In addition to the ratio of juvenile to adult mortality, social factors such as queen number influence life history trajectories. We discuss two hypotheses explaining why queen fecundity and lifespan is higher in single-queen societies and suggest further research directions on the evolution of life history variation in social insects.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2016-08-01
10.1016/j.cois.2016.05.008https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/4fec293a-1945-4546-b196-f8ca46ef697b