Which term describes a colony with multiple egg-laying queens?

Which term describes a colony with multiple egg-laying queens?

• A. Polygyne
• B. Monogyne
• C. Subsocial
• D. Quasisocial

Answer: (A)

In social insect colonies, the number of egg-laying queens defines a key aspect of how the colony is organized. When a colony harbors more than one queen that lays eggs, that arrangement is described as polygyne. This term specifically captures the presence of multiple reproductive queens within a single nest or colony, which influences how the colony grows, how genetics are shared among workers, and how the workers interact with their multiple queens. This differs from a monogyne situation, where a single queen is responsible for laying the eggs, leading to higher relatedness among workers and a more centralized reproductive structure. The polygyne arrangement can boost brood production and resilience but often comes with trade-offs in worker relatedness and social regulation among multiple queens. Other terms describe different social patterns. Subsocial refers to limited parental care by a single female lineage rather than a fully cooperative colony, while quasisocial describes groups with cooperative brood care and defense but without a strict division of reproductive roles. These concepts help distinguish how colonies organize reproduction and care beyond just the number of queens. The best term for a colony with several egg-laying queens is polygyne.

In social insect colonies, the number of egg-laying queens defines a key aspect of how the colony is organized. When a colony harbors more than one queen that lays eggs, that arrangement is described as polygyne. This term specifically captures the presence of multiple reproductive queens within a single nest or colony, which influences how the colony grows, how genetics are shared among workers, and how the workers interact with their multiple queens.

This differs from a monogyne situation, where a single queen is responsible for laying the eggs, leading to higher relatedness among workers and a more centralized reproductive structure. The polygyne arrangement can boost brood production and resilience but often comes with trade-offs in worker relatedness and social regulation among multiple queens.

Other terms describe different social patterns. Subsocial refers to limited parental care by a single female lineage rather than a fully cooperative colony, while quasisocial describes groups with cooperative brood care and defense but without a strict division of reproductive roles. These concepts help distinguish how colonies organize reproduction and care beyond just the number of queens. The best term for a colony with several egg-laying queens is polygyne.