1982] Alloway, Buschinger, Talbot, Stuart & Thomas 
253 
Table 2. Number and Percent of Queenright and Queenless Nests of L. 
ambiguus, L. curvispinosus, and L. longispinousus Containing Pupae and/or 
Alate Reproductives of Various Types at the Time of Collection (1977-78) 
Species 
9 and/or 
$ Only 
Queenright Nests 
9 and/or 
$ and $ 
3 Only 
Total 
L. ambiguus 
180 (83.3%) 
31 (14.4%) 
5 (2.3%) 
216(100.0%) 
L. curvispinosus 
23 (53.5%) 
19(44.2%) 
1 (2.3%) 
43 (100.0%) 
L. longispinosus 
76(66.1%) 
33 (28.7%) 
6 (5.2%) 
115(100.0%) 
Total 
279 (74.6%) 
83 (22.2%) 
12(3.2%) 
374(100.0%) 
Species 
9 and / or 
§ Only 
Queenless Nests 
9 and/or 
$ and $ 
3 Only 
Total 
L. ambiguus 
90 (80.4%) 
16(14.3%) 
6 (5.4%) 
112(100.0%) 
L. curvispinosus 
19(59.4%) 
9(28.1%) 
4(12.5%) 
32(100.0%) 
L. longispinosus 
35 (50.0%) 
24 (34.3%) 
11 (15.7%) 
70(100.0%) 
Total 
144 (67.3%) 
49 (22.9%) 
21 (9.8%) 
214(100.0%) 
Materials and Methods 
To determine whether polygyny involving inseminated queens 
occurs in these species, we dissected all the queens present in sam- 
ples of nests containing more than one dealate queen. To determine 
whether ergatomorphic female reproductives occur frequently, we 
dissected all the “workers” from five queenless nests of each species 
which had produced female broods when cultured in the laboratory. 
For each queen or worker dissected, we noted the following 
characteristics: 
a. the number of ovarioles. 
b. the length of the ovaries. In young virgin queens, the ovaries are 
thin and about 3/4 the length of the queen’s gaster. When a 
queen becomes fertile, her ovaries grow until they eventually 
become as long as her entire body. In old fertile queens, the 
folded and coiled ovarioles enlarge until they almost completely 
fill the gaster. 
c. the presence or absence of any growing oocytes in the ovarioles. 
The ovarioles of sterile individuals contain no oocytes; and in 
hibernating fertile queens, the oocytes are transparent. As yolk is 
