LACK OF KIN DISCRIMINATION DURING WASP COLONY FISSION

The tightly integrated, cooperative nature of social insect colonies c an be threatened by kin-selected conflicts among colony mates. Some co nflicts are known to occur when classes of relatives can be distinguis hed by obvious cues such as sex. However, less is known about the more pervasive and potentially destructive conflicts that would arise if i ndividuals could generally recognize and preferentially aid their clos est kin within a colony. To study natural discrimination in colonies w ith many patrilines or matrilines, where it should be most profitable to individuals, requires good molecular markers. We used microsatellit e genotyping to show that a highly polygynous social wasp does not exe rcise within-colony discrimination in the context of colony fissioning .