Queen morphology and dispersal tactics in the ant, Cardiocondyla batesii

Abstract

Dispersal behavior of queens of the myrmicine Cardiocondyla batesii was studied in the springs of 2000 and 2001 in three populations in Southern Spain. Hundreds of young queens were observed to leave their maternal nests, shed their wings, and disperse on foot. Both alate and dealate queens were found to be inseminated, suggesting that they had mated with ergatoid males in their maternal colonies before dispersal. Queens showed a remarkable variation in mesosoma size which appeared to be associated with a polymorphism in wing length (brachyptery vs. macroptery). Morphology did not affect dispersal behavior. Brachyptery is as yet known only from a small number of ant species.