Summary.
By combining different methods we evaluate whether the ant Tetramorium rhenanum is specifically separated from T. moravicum or whether it is a conspecific microgyne form. High-precision morphometry shows a clear difference in queen size. Sequence comparison of 1031 bp of COI reveals that T. rhenanum falls into a clade with T. moravicum, which is significantly separated from T. forte and T. chefketi. T. rhenanum shares at least two haplotypes with T. moravicum and is considered as a junior synonym. Sexual behaviour and colony foundation experiments corroborate conspecificity. The queen dimorphism is discussed in the context of social parameters such as queen number and reproductive strategy.
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Received 10 June 2004; revised 28 October 2004; accepted 12 November 2004.
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Schlick-Steiner, B.C., Steiner, F.M., Sanetra, M. et al. Queen size dimorphism in the ant Tetramorium moravicum (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): Morphometric, molecular genetic and experimental evidence. Insectes Soc. 52, 186–193 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-004-0793-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-004-0793-6