Experimentally measured group direct benefits according to worker density explain group living of the termite Reticulitermes chinensis

The evolution of cooperation requires more benefits of group living than solitary lifestyle. However, to some degree, our understanding about the benefits is hindered by abstract debates over theoretical and experimental evidences of individual selection or group selection because it is difficult to examine the actual benefits at the group level. Moreover, group density is a crucial ecological factor which deeply affects group reproduction and survival, few studies have been performed in social insects. Here, we study the effects of worker density on group direct benefits in the termite species Reticulitermes chinensis. The termite R. chinensis is an ideal model which lives with a high worker density in wood. We used the quantity of eggs and the total biomass (biomass of all group members) accumulation as two components of group benefits. We investigated the group benefits in the context of worker density according to eleven worker densities. And we measured the group benefits and the r...

合作的演化要求群居生活的收益高于独居生活。然而，在某种程度上，我们对这些收益的理解受到了关于个体选择或群体选择的理论与实验证据的抽象争论的阻碍——因为在群体层面检验实际收益十分困难。此外，群体密度是深刻影响群体繁殖与生存的关键生态因子，但针对社会性昆虫的相关研究却十分有限。在此，我们研究了工蚁密度对黄胸散白蚁（Reticulitermes chinensis）群体直接收益的影响。黄胸散白蚁（R. chinensis）是理想的研究模型，其在木材中以高工蚁密度生存。我们将卵的数量与总生物量（所有群体成员的生物量）积累作为群体收益的两个组成部分。我们基于11种工蚁密度，在工蚁密度背景下探究了群体收益。此外，我们还测量了群体收益及r...