Between- and Within-Species Recognition Among Imported Fire Ants and Their Hybrids (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Application to Hybrid Zone Dynamics

Author： OBIN MARTIN S. VANDER MEER ROBERT K.

Publisher： Entomological Society of America

ISSN： 1938-2901

Source： Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Vol.82, Iss.5, 1989-09, pp. : 649-652

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Abstract

Inter- and intraspecific recognition capability among laboratory colonies of Solenopsis invicta Buren, Solenopsis richteri Forel, and their hybrids were measured with aggression bioassays. No significant differences were detected when the ability of each population to discriminate intruders from the other two populations was compared. However, scores for within-population discrimination were highest among hybrids and lowest for S. invicta, suggesting greater genetic variability for heritable recognition cues (“discriminators”) among hybrids and least variability in S. invicta. The results support the hypothesis that the fire ant hybrid zone is maintained in part by hybrid superiority resulting from increased genetic variability in heterozygotes. The hierarchy of genetic variability suggested by the data is contrasted with that suggested by electrophoretic studies of “neutral” Mendelian markers in fire ant populations.