Colony Founding Behavior of Some Desert Ants: Geographic Variation in Metrosis

摘要

The antsPogonomyrmex catifornicusandPheidole tucsonicadisplay cooperative colony foundation with co-foundresses forming associations without respect to relatedness. Geographic variation in method of colony foundation [cooperative (pleometrosis) versus non-cooperative (haplometrosis)] occurs inP. californicus, Acromyrmex versicolor, Myrmecocystus mimicus and Messor pergandei.Such variation in colony founding behavior strongly suggeststhat comparative studies of the adaptive value of cooperative colony founding will be extremely rewarding.