Cuticular compounds are well-known for their essential roles as individual identity and caste signals in eusocial insect colonies. Recent studies are starting to reveal their multiple roles in regulating colony social structure. In the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), the multiple-queen (polygyne) social form is determined by the presence of an inversion-based selfish genetic element called the Sb supergene, which is not present in the ancestral single-queen colonies. Polygyne colonies accept numerous Sb-carrying queens while executing non-carrier queens. Our project aims to enhance our understanding of how the communication of queen supergene status occurs and the nature of the mechanisms through which Sb-carrying workers induce polygyny. Using novel high-throughput behavioral assays, we discovered that polygyne queens signal supergene genotype status through a complex blend of unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons. Additionally, Sb-carrying workers influence the queen preference of non-carrier nestmates through direct physical contact as well as exposure to Sb-produced volatile compounds. Our studies highlight the essential functional roles of cuticular compounds in mediating colony social structure, an aspect of regulation of reproduction in social insects that has been underappreciated until now.
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