1965] 
Haskins and Whelden — Rhytidoponera 
107 
THE PRODUCTION AND FUNCTION OF ALATE QUEENS IN 
R. METALLICA 
As earlier mentioned, fully developed alate queens of at least four 
normally “queenless” species of Rhytidoponera, with bulky thoraces 
and typically large compound eyes have been collected — though 
rarely — in the field. Under what conditions are they produced? And 
what is their function? 
On September 25, 1955, and again on October 23, 1955, a single 
typical female was found in a colony of R. metallica described earlier, 
which had been collected near Sutherland, N. S. W., in June, 1952. 
When discovered, each individual was already dealate, was actively 
foraging and feeding outside the nest with workers, and generally was 
behaving precisely like a worker. When isolated in an earth-contain- 
ing modified Lubbock nest each female at first made an imperfect 
beginning of an isolated cell, behaving in the general fashion of an 
isolated worker. Neither female formed a true cell, however, and 
neither showed any sign of oviposition, so typical of isolated metallica 
workers. One female remained passive for a full month, and when 
at the end of that period it was lost, no trace of an established nest 
could be detected. The second female behaved in precisely the same 
manner and was ultimately killed and fixed for histological and 
cytological examination. 
On October 7, 1954, during one of the flights of males from the 
same colony, two alate females, matured within the nest shortly before, 
emerged with the males and workers and ran actively about outside 
the nest. They showed no disposition to mate, however, and were 
ultimately captured and preserved. 
In January, 1957, the same colony produced about twenty perfect 
females. On January 19 one of these emerged from the nest and 
wandered about for a short time. It shortly reentered without having 
flown. Eight days later, between 9:00 A.M. and 10:30 A.M., while 
a flight of males was in progress and several workers were resting 
motionless with elevated gasters, a dealate female made a number of 
trips together with workers to and from the nest carrying excavated 
soil and quite unaffected by the flight in progress. At 1 1 :oo A.M. an 
alate female emerged from the nest and wandered briefly before 
returning, but gave no evidence either of dispersal flight or of any 
attempt to mate. 
On February 2 a further dealate queen emerged and wandered. 
On March 15 yet another young alate female emerged simultaneously 
with three males, wandered, vibrated the wings briefly, then, without 
mating or making further attempts at flight, dealated in the open and 
