PSYCHE 
Vol. 93 
1986 
Nos. 1-2 
FUNCTIONAL QUEENS IN THE 
AUSTRALIAN GREENHEAD ANT, 
RHYTIDOPONERA METALLICA 
(HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)* 
By Philip S. Ward 
Department of Entomology, 
University of California, 
Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A. 
Introduction 
In most species of the Indo-Australian ant genus, Rhytidoponera, 
deciduously winged queens are rare or absent, their place being 
taken by reproductively functional workers (Whelden, 1957, 1960; 
Haskins & Welden, 1965; Ward, 1981, 1984; Pamilo et al., 1985). A 
polygynous colony structure, with several mated workers in lieu of a 
queen, is the normal mode of colony organization in the common 
Australian greenhead ant, Rhytidoponera metallica F. Smith 
(Whelden, 1960; Haskins & Whelden, 1965; Haskins & Haskins, 
1983), and queenright colonies of this species have not been 
reported. A few alate or dealate females are known in collections, 
and Haskins & Whelden (1965) noted the sporadic production of 
alate queens in laboratory colonies of R. metallica. However beha- 
vioral observations by these authors suggested that the queens had 
lost the ability to found colonies. In this paper I document the 
occurrence of functional queens in R. metallica , describe colony 
foundation and growth under laboratory conditions, and discuss the 
significance of occasional queen production in this species. 
* Manuscript received by the editor February 26, 1986. 
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