ABSTRACT
Polygynous colonies, in which more than one queen contributes to the worker pool, are genotypically more diverse than monogynous colonies. The behavioral organization of workers is most simply represented by the colony ethogram. The number of queens in a nest has consistent effects neither on worker morphology nor on overall colony behavior. The ergonomic efficiency hypothesis predicts that increased efficiency with queen number would result in a larger proportion of colony resources being available for production of virgin queens and males. Maintenance of polygynous colonies in nature remains a mystery; clearly there is no ergonomic differential leading to higher fertility. Tests of genetic and ecological hypotheses for the evolution of multiple queening are expected to further our understanding of social organization in Leptothorax ants. If polyethism is organized along morphological lines, polygynous colonies might enjoy enhanced behavioral discretization, leading to higher efficiency and ultimately higher fitness.
