Colony Fitness In Harvester Ants

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Cole, Blaine IBN-9507470 Abstract A critical assumption of empirical and theoretical studies of reproductive allocation in social insects is that size variation does not affect reproductive success. However, if males vary in their probability of mating or if females vary in their probability of founding a colony as a function of body size, then the optimal investment cannot be predicted without knowledge of how size affects reproductive success. The objective of the proposed research is to test the above stated assumption by determining the relationship between the size of an individual and its reproductive success. In addition, the variation in the size and number of males and females within and among colonies will be quantified to evaluate whether colonies have maximized their reproductive success. Finally, the relationship between the availability of food and the pattern of investment will be examined in order to assess the degree of lability among colonies. This project should help to fill a gap in our knowledge concerning patterns of reproductive investment in social insects.