Insect life strategies comprise all levels of sociality from solitary to eusocial, in which
individuals form persistent groups and divide labor. With increasing social complexity, the …

The tribal and generic classification of the diverse ant subfamily Ponerinae (Hymenoptera:
Formicidae) is revised to reflect recent molecular phylogenetic information and a reappraisal …

A major evolutionary transition to eusociality with reproductive division of labor between
queens and workers has arisen independently at least 10 times in the ants, bees, and …

Social insect are profoundly influenced by primer pheromones (PPhs), which are efficient
means for maintaining social harmony in the colony. PPhs act by affecting the physiology of …

The sophisticated organization of eusocial insect societies is largely based on the regulation
of complex behaviors by hydrocarbon pheromones present on the cuticle. We used …

The selective forces that shape and maintain eusocial societies are an enduring puzzle in
evolutionary biology. Ordinarily sterile workers can usually reproduce given the right …

Queen pheromones, which signal the presence of a fertile queen and induce daughter
workers to remain sterile, are considered to play a key role in regulating the reproductive …

Eusocial insects use cuticular hydrocarbons as components of pheromones that mediate
social behaviours, such as caste and nestmate recognition, and regulation of reproduction …

Inclusive fitness theory explains how helpers reproduce indirectly via the breeders they help.
The inclusive fitness helpers get depends on their relatedness to the breeder (s), colony …

Discriminating among individuals and rejecting non-group members is essential for the
evolution and stability of animal societies. Ants are good models for studying recognition …