Luke Chenoweth

Postgraduate Student

Contact Details

Research

Advanced Eusociality in Madagascan Allodapines
 

I am working on sociality in several species of Halterapis from Madagascar and South Africa. Halterapis had long been regarded as a genus displaying very low levels of sociality, and indeed Halterapis nigrinervis may have been the only studied allodapine whose colonies were entirely subsocial.  Recent studies have shown that a Malagasy species, Halterapis minuta, shows strongly size-based reproductive castes and there is evidence that similar structures occur in other Malagasy species.  My project is aimed at discovering whether there have been any losses of true social behaviour in allodapines, and how many origins of highly eusocial behaviour there have been in this tribe.

Supervisor

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