Summary
The term “ergatogyne” is used in ants to describe permanently-wingless female adults which are “morphologically intermediate” between workers and winged queens. This definition is ambiguous because there are two distinct categories of “ergatogynes”: ergatoid queens and intercastes. Both have an external appearance (ocelli and alitrunk structure) which combines traditional queen and worker characters, and thus can be confused if they both function as reproductives — however intercastes in most species cannot reproduce.
Ergatoid queens have replaced winged queens in a substantial number of species. They are sometimes externally similar to conspecific workers, especially in various ponerine species which exhibit limited size dimorphism between castes. Ergatoid queens retain the specialized attributes of a reproductive caste, including larger ovaries, and they are always the functional egg-layers in a colony. In contrast, conspecific intercastes represent various graded stages in a series connecting workers and winged queens, and they occur together with the queens. These hybrid phenotypes result from deviations from the normal pattern of caste differentiation during larval development. Intercastes generally lack a spermatheca and have no reproductive function; however they can mate in a few leptothoracine ants, and then reproduce instead of winged queens in a proportion of colonies.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Arnold, G., 1915. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa.Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 14:1–766.
Bier, K., 1954. Über den Saisondimorphismus der Oogenese vonFormica rufa rufo-pratensis minor Gössw. und dessen Bedeutung für die Kastendetermination.Biol. Zbl. 73:170–190.
Bolton, B., 1974. A revision of the ponerine ant genusPlectroctena F. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.) 30:309–338.
Bolton, B., 1975. A revision of the ant genusLeptogenys Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian region.Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.) 31:235–305.
Bolton, B., 1981a. A revision of the ant generaMeranoplus F. Smith,Dicroaspis Emery andCalyptomyrmex Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region.Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.) 42:43–81.
Bolton, B., 1981b. A revision of six minor genera of Myrmicinae in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region.Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.) 43:245–307.
Bolton, B., 1986. Apterous females and shift of dispersal strategy in theMonomorium salomonis group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).J. Nat. Hist. 20:267–272.
Bolton, B., 1987. A review of theSolenopsis genus-group and revision of AfrotropicalMonomorium Mayr.Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.) 54:263–452.
Bolton, B., 1990. Abdominal characters and status of the cerapachyine ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).J. Nat. Hist. 24:53–68.
Bolton, B. and A. C. Marsh, 1989. The Afrotropical thermophilic ant genusOcymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).J. Nat. Hist. 23:1267–1308.
Bourke, A., 1987.The social biology of the slave-making ant Harpagoxenus sublaevis. Ph. D. thesis, University of Bath.
Brandão, C. R. F., 1990. Systematic revision of the neotropical ant genusMegalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the description of thirteen new species.Arq. Zool., S. Paulo, 31:411–481.
Brian, M., 1955. Studies of caste differentiation inMyrmica rubra L. 2. The growth of workers and intercastes.Ins. Soc. 2:1–34.
Brian, M., 1979. Caste differentiation and division of labor. In:Social Insects Vol. 1 (H. R. Hermann, Ed.), Academic Press, pp. 121–222.
Brown, W. L., 1958a. Contributions towards a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera).Bul. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harv. 118:173–362.
Brown, W. L., 1958b. A review of the ants of New Zealand (Hymenoptera).Acta Hymenopterologica, Tokyo 1:1–50.
Brown, W. L., 1960. Contributions towards a reclassification of the Formicidae. III. Tribe Amblyo-ponini (Hymenoptera).Bul. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harv. 122:143–230.
Brown, W. L., 1975. Contributions towards a reclassification of the Formicidae. V. Ponerinae, Tribes Platythyreini, Cerapachyini, Cylindromyrmecini, Acanthostichini, and Aenictogitini.Search, Cornell Univ. 5:1–116.
Brown, W. L. and W. W. Kempf, 1960. A world revision of the ant tribe Basicerotini.Studia Ent., Petropolis (n.s.) 3:161–250.
Buschinger, A., 1978.Queen polymorphism in ants. Réunion Scientifique de la Section Francaise U.I.E.I.S., Besancon, France, Bull. Intérieur, pp. 12–22.
Buschinger, A., 1979. Functional monogyny in the american guest antFormicoxenus hirticornis (Emery) (=Leptothorax hirticornis), (Hym., Form.).Ins. Soc. 26:61–68.
Buschinger, A., 1987. Polymorphism and reproductive division of labor in advanced ants. In:Chemistry and biology of social insects (J. Eder, H. Rembold, Eds), Verlag J. Peperny, Munich, pp. 257–258.
Buschinger, A. and U. Winter, 1975. Der Polymorphisms der sklavenhaltenden AmeiseHarpagoxenus sublaevis (Nyl.) (Hym., Form.).Ins. Soc. 22:333–362.
Buschinger, A. and U. Winter, 1976. Funktionelle Monogynie bei der GastameiseFormicoxenus nitidulus (Nyl.) (Hym., Form.).Ins. Soc. 23:549–558.
Buschinger, A. und U. Winter, 1978. Echte Arbeiterinnen, fertile Arbeiterinnen und sterile Wirtsweibchen in Völkern der dulotischen AmeiseHarpagoxenus sublaevis (Nyl.) (Hym., Form.).Ins. Soc. 25:63–78.
Buschinger, A. and T. Alloway, 1977. Population structure and polymorphism in the slave-making antHarpagoxenus americanus (Emery) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Psyche 83:233–242.
Buschinger, A. and T. Alloway, 1978. Caste polymorphism inHarpagoxenus canadensis M. R. Smith (Hym., Formicidae).Ins. Soc. 25:339–350.
Buschinger, A., A. Francoeur and K. Fischer, 1980. Functional monogyny, sexual behavior, and karyotype of the guest ant,Leptothorax provancheri Emery (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).Psyche 87:1–12.
Buschinger, A., C. Peeters and R. Crozier, 1989. Life-pattern studies on an AustralianSphinctomyrmex (Formicidae; Ponerinae; Cerapachyini): functional polygyny, brood periodicity, and raiding behavior.Psyche 96:287–300.
Cherix, D., 1983. Pseudogynes (=sécrétergates) et répartition des individus à l'intérieur d'une fourmilière deFormica lugubris Zett (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).Ins. Soc. 30:184–192.
Clark, J., 1951.The Formicidae of Australia Vol. 1. Myrmeciinae. C.S.I.R.O., Melbourne 230pp.
Dubois, M. B., 1986. A revision of the native New World species of the ant genusMonomorium (minimum group) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Univ. Kansas Science Bull. 53:65–119.
Faber, W., 1969. Beiträge zur Kenntnis sozialparasitischer Ameisen. 2.Aporomyrmex ampeloni nov. gen., nov. spec. (Hym. Formicidae), ein neuer permanenter Sozialparasit beiPlagiolepis vindobonensis Lomnicki aus Österreich.Pflanzenschutz-Berichte 39:39–100.
Forder, J. C. and A. C. Marsh, 1989. Social organization and reproduction inOcymyrmex foreli (Formicidae: Myrmicinae).Ins. Soc. 36:106–115.
Francoeur, A., 1986. Deux nouvelles fourmis néarctiques:Leptothorax retractus etL. sphagnicolus (Formicidae, Hymenoptera).Can. Ent. 118:1151–1164.
Francoeur, A., R. Loiselle and A. Buschinger, 1985. Biosystématique de la tribu Leptothoracini (Formicidae, Hymenoptera). 1. Le genreFormicoxenus dans la région holarctique.Naturaliste can. 112:343–403.
Gotwald, W. H., 1982. Army ants. In:Social Insects Vol.4 (H. R. Hermann, Ed), Academic Press, pp. 157–254.
Gotwald, W. H. and W. L. Brown, 1966. The ant genusSimopelta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Psyche 73:261–271.
Hall, D. W. and I. C. Smith, 1953. Atypical forms of the wingless worker and the winged female inMonomorium pharaonis (L.). (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Evol. 7:127–135.
Haskins, C. P. and E. F. Haskins, 1955. The pattern of colony foundation in the archaic antMyrmecia regularis.Ins. Soc. 2:115–126.
Haskins, C. P. and R. M. Whelden, 1965. “Queenlessness”, worker sibship, and colony versus population structure in the formicid genusRhytidoponera.Psyche 72:87–112.
Heinze, J. and A. Buschinger, 1987. Queen polymorphism in a non-parasiticLeptothorax species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).Ins. Soc. 34:28–43.
Hölldobler, B. and R. W. Taylor, 1983. A behavioral study of the primitive antNothomyrmecia macrops Clark.Ins. Soc. 30:384–401.
Holliday, M., 1903. A study of some ergatogynic ants.Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. 19:293–328.
Itow, T., K. Kobayashi, M. Kubota, K. Ogata, H. T. Imai and R. H. Crozier, 1984. The reproductive cycle of the queenless antPristomyrmex pungens.Ins. Soc. 31:87–102.
Le Masne, G., 1956. La signification des reproducteurs aptéres chez la fourmiPanera eduardi Forel.Ins. Soc. 3:239–259.
Maschwitz, U., S. Steghaus-Kovac, R. Gaube and H. Hänel, 1989. A South East Asian ponerine ant of the genusLeptogenys (Hym., Form.) with army ant life habits.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 24:305–316.
Passera, L., 1969. Biologie de la reproduction chezPlagiolepis pygmaea Latr. et ses deux parasites sociauxPlagiolepis grassei Le Mas. et Pas. etPlagiolepis xene St. (Hym. Formicidae).Ann. Sci. nat. Zool. Biol. anim. 11:327–482.
Passera, L., 1984.L'organisation sociale des fourmis. Privat, Toulouse, 360pp.
Peeters, C., 1987. The diversity of reproductive systems in ponerine ants. In:Chemistry and biology of social insects (J. Eder, H. Rembold, Eds), Verlag J. Peperny, Munich, pp. 253–254.
Peeters, C. and R. M. Crewe, 1985. Worker reproduction in the ponerine antOphthalmopone berthoudi: an alternative form of eusocial organization.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 18:29–37.
Peeters, C. and R. H. Crozier, 1988. Caste and reproduction in ants: not all mated egg-layers are “queens”.Psyche 95:283–288.
Peeters, C. and S. Higashi, 1989. Reproductive dominance controlled by mutilation in the queenless antDiacamma australe.Naturwissenschaften 76:177–180.
Plateaux, L., 1970. Sur le polymorphisme social de la fourmiLeptothorax nylanderi (Forster) 1. Morphologie et biologie comparées des castes.Annls. Sci. nat. Zool. 12e série, 12:373–478.
Stitz, H., 1939. Ameisen oder Formicidae. In:Die Tierwelt Deutschlands (F. Dahl, Ed), G. Fischer Verlag, Jena, 428pp.
Terron, G., 1972. La ponte des ouvriéres fécondées chez une fourmi camerounaise du genreTechnomyrmex Mayr: mise en évidence d'une descendance ouvrière.C. R. Acad. Sc. Paris 264:1516–1517.
Tsuji, K., 1988. Obligate parthenogenesis and reproductive division of labor in the Japanese queenless antPristomyrmex pungens. Comparison of intranidal and extranidal workers.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 23:247–255.
Tulloch, G. S., 1930. An unusual nest ofPogonomyrmex.Psyche 37:61–70.
Wheeler, D. E., 1986. Developmental and physiological determinants of caste in social Hymenoptera: evolutionary implications.Am. Nat. 128:13–34.
Wheeler, W. M., 1910.Ants — their structure, development, and behavior. Columbia University Press, New York.
Wheeler, W. M. 1917. The phylogenetic development of subapterous and apterous castes in the Formicidae.Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 3:109–117.
Wheeler, W. M., 1923. The occurrence of winged females in the ant genusLeptogenys Roger, with descriptions of new species.Am. Mus. Novit. 90:1–16.
Wheeler, W. M., 1934. A second revision of the ants of the genusLeptomyrmex Mayr.Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv. 77:67–118.
Wilson, E. O., 1958a. Studies on the ant fauna of Melanesia. I. The tribe Leptogenyini. II. The tribes Amblyoponini and Platythyreini.Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Harvard 118:101–153.
Wilson, E. O., 1958b. The beginnings of nomadic and group-predatory behavior in the ponerine ants.Evol. 12:24–36.
Wilson, E. O., 1971.The Insect Societies. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peeters, C.P. Ergatoid queens and intercastes in ants: Two distinct adult forms which look morphologically intermediate between workers and winged queens. Ins. Soc 38, 1–15 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01242708
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01242708