Table 1.
Overview of samples included in this study.
| species | social complexity | samples (no.) | tissue used and age | mapped against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cryptotermes secundus
(Hill, 1925) (Isoptera) |
low: ‘cooperative breeders' colony size: 200–400 individuals; totipotent workers; lifespan: queens: up to 13 years workers: at least 4 years |
old (2) and young (2) queens old (2) and young (2) kings old (2) and young (2) workers (N = 12) |
whole body (without gut) old kings and queens: >7 years young kings and queens: 1 year workers: young: <6 months old: >3 years |
Cryptotermes secundus (draft) genome |
|
Macrotermes bellicosus
(Smeathman, 1781) (Isoptera) |
high: ‘superorganisms’ colony size: a few million individuals; two sterile worker castes; lifespan: queens: up to 20 years workers: 2–3 months |
old (3) and young (4) queens old (3) and young (2) kings old (3) and young (3) minor workers old (3) and young (3) major workers (N = 24) |
head + prothoraxa kings queens: young: <3 years old: >9 years young: 1 year workers: young: <1 month old: 2–3 months |
Macrotermes natalensis v. 1.0 |
|
Euglossa viridissima
(Friese, 1899) (Apiodea, Hymenoptera) |
low: ‘facultative eusocial’ colony size: 1–5 individuals; totipotent workers; lifespan: queens: 2–6 months workers: 2–6 weeks |
old (6) and young (4) queens old (3) and young (4) workers (N = 17) |
abdomen queens: young: <1.5 months old: >1.5 months workers: young: <3 weeks old: >3 weeks |
Euglossa dilemma v. 1.0/Apis mellifera v. 4.5 |
|
Apis mellifera capensis
(Escholtz, 1821) (Apoidea, Hymenoptera) |
high: ‘superorganism’ colony size: 10 000–60 000 individuals; functionally sterile workers; lifespan: queens: 1–5 years workers: 4–6 weeks |
pseudo-queens, early stage (2) pseudo-queens, late stage (2) workers, early stage (2) workers, late stage (2) (N = 8) |
fat body pseudo-queens: young: 3 and 4 days old: 7 and 8 days workers: young: 3 and 4 days old: 7 and 8 days |
Apish mellifera v. 4.5 |
|
Platythyrea punctata
(Smith, 1858) (Formicidae, Ponerinae, Hymenoptera) |
low: ‘clonal ant’ colony size: 30–80 individuals; totipotent workers; lifespan: reproductive worker: >400–500 days non-reproducing workers: around 200 days |
old (5) and young (5) dominants: head old (5) and young dominants (5): abdomenb old (5) and young subordinates (5): head old (5) and young (5) subordinates: abdomenb (N = 40) |
head, gaster dominants: young: 17 days old: 112 days subordinates: young: 17 days old: 112 days |
de novo assembly |
|
Temnothorax rugatulus
(Emery, 1895) (Formicidae, Myrmicinae, Hymenoptera) |
high: ‘superorganisms’ colony size: 50–500 individuals; functionally sterile workers; lifespan: queens: probably 15–20 years workers: probably 2–3 years |
old (8) and young (8) queens: brain old (8) and young (8) queens: fat bodyb old (6) and young (6) workers: brain old (6) and young (6) workers: fat bodyb (N = 56) |
brain, fat body queens: young: <3 months, old: approx. >5 years workers: young (nurse): <1 year old (forager): >1 year; estimated by task |
de novo assembly |
aIn [30], the same samples were referred to as ‘head’, yet the prothorax was attached to the head.
bSince the results were comparable to those for head (P. punctata) and fat body (T. rugatulus), PCA plots for the gaster of P. punctata and for the brain of T. rugatulus are provided in electronic supplementary material, figures S13 and S16; annotations are provided in electronic supplementary material, tables S10 and S13.