Abstract
Insect societies are a prime example of extreme cooperation, but their social life also entails the pursuit of selfish interests by society members1. Here we show that workers of the ant Formica fusca favour their own close kin when rearing eggs and larvae in colonies that are derived from several queens. This nepotistic behaviour indicates that ant workers are able not only to detect kin relationships, but also to pursue their selfish genetic interests if the costs to their colony are not prohibitive.
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