1984] 
Wheeler — Behavior of Proeryptoeerus 
183 
viable eggs. In soliciting, queen #4 clearly led all the rest, while 
queen #3 was the clear loser. The least demanding queens partici- 
pated in food exchange with workers at a rate similar to workers: 
such queens can be regarded as worker-like in their behavior (Table 
2 ). 
Occasionally, queens solicited from other queens (n=9). One 
queen would initiate the contact, but both would perform soliciting 
movements with their antennae. No food appeared to be exchanged 
during these bouts. The number of queen queen contacts was not 
directly correlated with rank as determined by rates of queen 
worker and queen-larvae exchanges. The sample size is so low, 
however, that it is premature to dismiss the possibility that rank is 
determined or maintained by such interactions. 
The relationship between grooming paiterns and rank, if one 
exists, is not clear (Table 2). There were significant differences 
among queens in the amount of self-grooming indulged in (p<0.005, 
chi-squared test), but the difference in attention received from 
workers was not significant. Queens groomed themselves less than 
the average worker and were groomed by workers more often than 
workers groomed each other. No queen could be classed as worker- 
like in grooming behavior. 
Viable and trophic eggs 
Both normal, viable eggs and trophic eggs are found in P. scabri- 
usculus colonies. Viable eggs in P. seabriusculus, those capable of 
embryogenesis, were large and cylindrical, measuring 1 .32 1 .66 mm 
long. The shape is typical of Cephalotini, as well as other arboreal 
ants (Wheeler and Wheeler, 1954). Smaller, presumably trophic, 
eggs were highly variable in size (0.6- 1.2 mm). Trophic eggs were 
less cylindrical than viable eggs and had a milky, homogeneous 
appearance. Generally, ants consume trophic eggs immediately after 
they are laid (Wilson, 1971). Why P. seabriusculus should allow 
non-viable eggs to lie around is a puzzle. 
The relative capabilites of egg laying in workers and in queens is 
not known, since no egg laying was observed. In other cephalotines, 
workers are known to lay trophic eggs as well as viable, unfertilized 
eggs that develop as males. In Z. varians, minor workers lay trophic 
eggs (Wilson, 1976), and production of males by queenless colonies 
has been noted in C. atratus (Weber, 1957), Z. varians (Wilson, 
1976) and Z. minutus (personal observation). 
