DIMORPHIC ERGATOID MALES AND THEIR REPRODUCTIVE-BEHAVIOR IN THE PONERINE ANT HYPOPONERA-BONDROITI

We studied the reproductive behavior of the ponerine ant Hypoponera bo ndroiti from Okinawa, Japan. This species has dimorphic wingless ergat oid males (major and minor), dimorphic reproductive females (alate que ens and wingless reproductive intercastes), and workers. Workers have neither ovarioles nor spermatheca. Major egatoid males are the largest colony members. Two major males fought one another in the nest until one disappeared, leaving the other to occupy the nest Chambers where q ueens emerge and mate. Minor ergatoid males also fought one another, a lthough they seemed to be less pugnacious, resulting in occasional coh abitation of multiple minor males in the same nest chamber. Major male s never attacked minor ones, allowing them to coexist in the same nest chamber. Minor males seemed to mimic females. Both major and minor ma les mated with both alate queens and intercastes within the nest. Afte r mating, some alate queens shed their wings and remained in the nest, while the others left the nest for dispersal in the laboratory. Inter castes remained in the nest.