Productivity of inbred and outbred colonies
Fifteen months after pairing, 68 of the 70 incipient colonies contained workers. The type of pairing significantly affects the number of workers present in colonies over time, with a higher production of workers in inbred colonies (P < 0.001; Figure S7b); the mean number of workers was 25.06 (±SD = 21.66) in inbred colonies compared to 19.70 (±SD = 21.16) in outbred colonies (Figure 5a). Similarly, 51 of the 70 colonies contained at least one soldier, with an average of 1.33 (±SD = 1.17) and 1.13 (±SD = 0.93) soldiers in inbred and outbred colonies, respectively (Figure 5a). A similar effect of the type of pairing was found on the number of soldiers over time, with an increased production in inbred colonies (P < 0.001; Figure S7c).