The Social Biology of Ropalidia marginata: Toward Understanding the Evolution of Eusociality

by Raghavendra Gadagkar

Overview

In this book, the biologist Raghavendra Gadagkar focuses on the single species he has worked on throughout his career. Found throughout southern India, Ropalidia marginata is a primitively eusocial wasp—a species in which queens and workers do not differ morphologically and even the latter retain the ability to reproduce. New colonies may be founded by a single fertile female or by several, which then share reproductive and worker duties.

R. marginata has provided Gadagkar with a unique opportunity to study the evolution of eusociality; its long-lived dynasties can continue almost indefinitely, as old or weakened queens are replaced by young and healthy ones and new colonies are founded throughout the year. Understanding such primitively eusocial species is crucial, Gadagkar argues, if we are to understand the evolution of the greater degrees of sociality found in other wasp species and in ants, termites, and bees. His years of study have led him to believe that ecological, physiological, and demographic factors can be more important than genetic relatedness in the selection for or against social traits.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780674006119
Publisher:	Harvard University Press
Publication date:	11/30/2001
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Raghavendra Gadagkar is Professor and Chairman of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, and Honorary Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore, India.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part I: Introduction

1. A Primer of Eusociality

2. In Praise of Ropalidia

Part II: Social Biology

3. Some Methodological Necessities

4. Natural History

5. Behavioral Caste Differentiation

6. Dominance Behavior and Regulation of Worker Activity

7. Age and Division of Labor

Part III: The Evolution of Eusociality

8. The Theoretical Framework

9. Genetic Predisposition I: Intracolony Genetic Relatedness

10. Genetic Predisposition II: Kin and Nestmate Recognition

11. Ecological Predisposition

12. Physiological Predisposition

13. Demographic Predisposition

14. Synthesis

15. Factors That Remain to Be Explored

Part IV: Beyond Ropalidia marginata: Social Evolution, Forward and Reverse

16. A Route to Sociality

17. The Evolution of Caste Polymorphism

18. Reverse Social Evolution

Summary

References

Index

What People are Saying About This

This is a very readable introduction to facts and concepts by a leading authority on social wasps who has a deep understanding of evolutionary principles. Using entertaining anecdotes to illustrate important observations, Gadagkar expertly summarizes the remarkable studies he and his students conducted over a period of more than twenty years. A major accomplishment.

Mary Jane West-Eberhard

This is a very readable introduction to facts and concepts by a leading authority on social wasps who has a deep understanding of evolutionary principles. Using entertaining anecdotes to illustrate important observations, Gadagkar expertly summarizes the remarkable studies he and his students conducted over a period of more than twenty years. A major accomplishment.
— Mary Jane West-Eberhard, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Editorial Reviews

This is a very readable introduction to facts and concepts by a leading authority on social wasps who has a deep understanding of evolutionary principles. Using entertaining anecdotes to illustrate important observations, Gadagkar expertly summarizes the remarkable studies he and his students conducted over a period of more than twenty years. A major accomplishment.

Mary Jane West-Eberhard

This is a wonderful book about a detailed investigation of a single species of social wasp. Raghavendra Gadagkar and his colleagues have carried out a thorough study of Ropalidia marginata Lepeletier and developed ideas about the origins and maintenance of eusociality, currently topics of great interest...I have read [this book] twice from cover to cover completely captivated by the detailed studies on this social wasp. I have no hesitation in strongly recommending this book.

Entomologist's Monthly Magazine - M. E. Archer

This is a wonderful book about a detailed investigation of a single species of social wasp. Raghavendra Gadagkar and his colleagues have carried out a thorough study of Ropalidia marginata Lepeletier and developed ideas about the origins and maintenance of eusociality, currently topics of great interest...I have read [this book] twice from cover to cover completely captivated by the detailed studies on this social wasp. I have no hesitation in strongly recommending this book.
— M. E. Archer

Entomologist's Monthly Magazine