Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Colony composition and behavior of ergatoid queens were investigated in two species of the Leptogenys diminuta group (L. diminuta Smith F. and L. sp. 12) in Indonesia. Average number of workers in queenright colonies was 277 ± 116 and 422 ± 176 in L. diminuta and Leptogenys sp.12, respectively. Most colonies had one physogastric mated ergatoid queen. All but one colony had many virgin-ergatoid queens, which represented 1.8–14.3% of females in the colonies. The virgin-ergatoid queens performed worker-like behavior when they became older. The occurrence of many ergatoid queens has rarely been observed in ponerine species. The significance of ergatoid queen production in these species is discussed.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ito et al. (2000) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: