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).