Bottlenecks in population size can reduce fitness and evolutionary potential, yet introduced
species often become invasive. This poses a dilemma referred to as the genetic paradox of …

In natural populations, dispersal tends to be limited so that individuals are in local
competition with their neighbours. As a consequence, most behaviours tend to have a social …

Social evolution is a central topic in evolutionary biology, with the evolution of eusociality
(societies with altruistic, non-reproductive helpers) representing a long-standing …

Chemical messengers are the primary mode of intracolony communication in the majority of
social insect species. Chemically transmitted information plays a major role in nestmate …

Studying the behavioral and life history transitions from a cooperative, eusocial life history to
exploitative social parasitism allows for deciphering the conditions under which changes in …

Background Reproductive division of labor in eusocial insects is a striking example of a
shared genetic background giving rise to alternative phenotypes, namely queen and worker …

The extreme diversity of dispersal strategies in ants is unique among terrestrial animals. The
nature of ant colonies as social, perennial and sessile superorganisms is the basis for …

Out-group conflict is rife in the natural world, occurring from primates to ants. Traditionally,
research on this aspect of sociality has focused on the interactions between groups and their …

Highlights•Polydomous ant colonies live in spatially separated but socially connected
nests.•Dispersed central place foraging may be a key benefit of polydomy.•Ergonomic …

Highlights•Ant invasion success is undeniably linked to polygyny and the formation of
supercolonies.•The link between many reproductives, supercolonies and invasion success …