The effect of colony size on conflict over male-production between gamergate and dominant workers in the ponerine antDiacammasp.

Colonies of the queenless ponerine Diacamma sp. have females with three types of functions with respect to reproductive status: a mated worker (gamergate), egg-laying unmated dominant workers, and non-reproductive unmated subordinate workers. In the laboratory, several dominant workers oviposited but most eggs were eaten by the gamergate. However, some eggs, which may have resulted in the production of males, were overlooked and escaped from oophagy by the gamergate. The colony size of male-producing colonies was larger than that of nonmale producing colonies. An increasing difficulty for the gamergate to find worker-laid eggs caused by large colony size appears to be responsible for this phenomenon.