Caste Determination in the Argentine Ant, Iridomyrmex Humilis

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Caste Determination in the Argentine Ant, Iridomyrmex Humilis: This award recommendation is made under the U.S.-Industrialized Countries Program for the Exchange of Scientists and Engineers, 1987/1988 Competition. The program is designed to enable U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct long-term research at research institutions in the industrialized countries of Western Europe as well as Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Exchange awards provide opportunities for the conduct of joint research and the utilization of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions in foreign countries. Awards are selected on the basis of scientific criteria relevant to his/her field of science, the propsective potential of the applicants for professional growth, as well as criteria relevant to the furthering of international cooperation in science and engineering. The program is particularly directed to scientists and engineers who are embarking on their research careers. This research project will investigate several social and environmental factors which may play a role in caste determination in the Argentine ant. These factors include queen pheromones, worker/larva ratios, influence of queen age on egg bias, and effect of season on egg and worker bias. Small fragments of colonies will be used to examine the influence of these factors on the development of new queens. The project is under the direction of Dr. Edward L. Vargo, Department of Zoology, University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A. and Dr. Luc Passera and Jacques Bitsch, Laboratoire d'Entomologie, CNRS, 118, Route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France. This award recommendation provides funds to cover, as appropriate, international travel, local travel abroad, stipend, dependents allowance, if applicable, language training, if required, and a flat administrative allowance of $250 for the U.S. home institution.