Abstract
Colonies of social insects are highly cooperative. However, conflict of reproductive interests among non-clonal societies are common. Colonies headed by a singly-mated females, for example, kin selection theory predicts the existence of matrifilial conflicts on the male production and sex allocation. Reproductive conflicts may reduce the fitness of colonies. Therefore, in different groups, it is expected the evolution of reproductive estrategies of manipulation and counter-manipulation by the groups involved in the conflicts, so that the maintenance of eusociality can be explained. Indeed, ants, wasps and social bees provide several genetic systems whose are good models to test predictions of the kin selection. Thus, this project aims to study the intrinsic mecanisms that social wasps, ants and stingless bees evolved to regulated their colonies. The use of inovative experimental techniques and behavioral observations integrating molecular analysis and chemical ecology will provide significant information about the social organization in hymenopterans. (AU)
| Articles published in Pesquisa FAPESP Magazine about the research grant: |
| Una intrusa entre las abejas |
| Stranger in the nest |
| Una intrusa entre las abejas |
| Articles published in Agência FAPESP Newsletter about the research grant: |
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