Egg-laying in monogynous and polygynous colonies of the termite Macrotermes michaelseni (Isoptera, Macrotermitidae)

Our report provides quantitative information on egg production of termites in correlation with the weight of queens and the degree of polygyny of a colony. We suggest that in Macrotermes michaelseni king weight may be used as an independent surrogate for colony age. Queens of a given age (= king of the same weight) were heavier in monogynous colonies than in polygynous colonies. From isolated queens sampled in southern Kenya we found that egg-laying rates increased with queen weight but were independent of the degree of polygyny. Nevertheless, when comparing queens of the same age, the lower weight of queens in polygynous colonies resulted in an individual loss of egg-laying. In sum, however, all nestmate queens together laid more eggs and the colony as a whole had an advantage, at least in the short term.