38 
Psyche 
[Vol. 95 
(Holldobler and Maschwitz 1965). Multiple insemination is com- 
mon among these species. The second strategy, called “female call- 
ing syndrome,” has, been found in several phylogenetically primitive 
species, and a number of socially parasitic or dulotic ants where the 
females emit a sexual pheromone attractant. The females usually 
mate once. Mature colonies of these species tend to be relatively 
small and produce few new reproductives per year. The mating 
behaviour of C. cursor is probably related to the female calling- 
strategy , although it is not yet known if the female emits sexual 
pheromone. The “degeneration” of nuptial flight is known in other 
species: in Formica uralensis where females reenter their nest after 
insemination which occurs frequently with brothers (Rosengren and 
Pamilo 1983) and in parasitic species where mating occurs in or near 
the host nest (Wilson 1971). In Cataglyphis the absence of nuptial 
flight is the rule but at least in one species (C. sabulosa) females fly 
some distance (Shalmon 1981). 
Parthenogenesis 
As indicated thelytokous parthenogenesis seems to be an acces- 
sory mechanism in the reproduction of the societies of C. cursor. We 
do not have much information about parthenogenesis in other 
Cataglyphis species: Cerda (1986) failed to find it in C. iberica, but 
recent experiments indicate that it exists in C. bicolor (Dartigues et 
al. in prep). In bees Apis mellifera capensis orphan workers are also 
able to reproduce by thelytoky but they become very aggressive and 
mortality is important (Anderson 1963, Moritz 1986). In ants the 
only certain case is Pristomyrmex pungens, a myrmicine lacking a 
queen (Mizutani 1980, Ono 1983, Itow et al. 1984). Other reports in 
the literature need to be confirmed. Ledoux (1950) supposed that 
parthenogenesis could play a central role in the life cycle of the 
weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda where alternation of generation 
methods may appear: foundation by inseminated queens, and fis- 
sion by groups of workers which rear new queens by thelytoky. 
Unfortunately this result was not observed by Way (1954) or by 
Holldobler and Wilson (1983). A similar cycle has been proposed 
for Harpagoxenus americanus (Wesson 1939), and four species of 
Crematogaster (Soulie 1960). For the first species Buschinger and 
Winter (1978) demonstrated that the production of diploid eggs was 
due to ergatdid inseminated females. Lasius niger (various authors 
and Bier 1952), Lasius flavus (Leutert 1963), Atta cephalotes (in 
• - v v.;-y 
