@article{deheer_vargo_2008, title={Strong mitochondrial DNA similarity but low relatedness at microsatellite loci among families within fused colonies of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes}, volume={55}, ISSN={["1420-9098"]}, DOI={10.1007/s00040-008-0999-0}, number={2}, journal={INSECTES SOCIAUX}, author={DeHeer, C. J. and Vargo, E. L.}, year={2008}, month={May}, pages={190–199} }
 @article{deheer_vargo_2006, title={An indirect test of inbreeding depression in the termites Reticulitermes flavipes and Reticulitermes virginicus}, volume={59}, ISSN={["1432-0762"]}, DOI={10.1007/s00265-005-0105-9}, number={6}, journal={BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY}, author={DeHeer, CJ and Vargo, EL}, year={2006}, month={Apr}, pages={753–761} }
 @article{backus_deheer_herbers_2006, title={Change in movement and subdivision of Myrmica punctiventris (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) colonies in north temperate forests is related to a long-term shift in social organization}, volume={53}, ISSN={["1420-9098"]}, DOI={10.1007/s00040-005-0852-7}, number={2}, journal={INSECTES SOCIAUX}, author={Backus, V. L. and DeHeer, C. and Herbers, J. M.}, year={2006}, pages={156–160} }
 @article{bouwma_ahrens_deheer_dewayne shoemaker_2006, title={Distribution and prevalence of Wolbachia in introduced populations of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta}, volume={15}, ISSN={["0962-1075"]}, DOI={10.1111/j.1365-2583.2006.00614.x}, abstractNote={Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that induce phenotypic effects in many arthropod hosts to enhance their own transmission within host populations. Wolbachia commonly infect the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, in native South American populations. A previous study failed to detect Wolbachia in fire ants from the introduced range in the USA. We conducted an extensive study of individuals collected from 1157 nests from 10 widespread geographical populations in the USA. Wolbachia were detected in ants from two nearby populations in southern Mississippi, with different variants (wsp gene sequences) infecting ants from colonies of the multiple-queen (polygyne) vs. single-queen (monogyne) social forms. The parsimonious explanation for the presence of Wolbachia in introduced S. invicta is that there have been one or more recent introductions of Wolbachia-infected fire ants into the southern USA.}, number={1}, journal={INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY}, author={Bouwma, AM and Ahrens, ME and DeHeer, CJ and DeWayne Shoemaker, D}, year={2006}, month={Feb}, pages={89–93} }
 @article{vargo_juba_deheer_2006, title={Relative abundance and comparative breeding structure of subterranean termite colonies (Reticulitermes flavipes, Reticulitermes hageni, Reticulitermes virginicus, and Coptotermes formosanus) in a South Carolina lowcountry site as revealed by molecular markers}, volume={99}, ISSN={["0013-8746"]}, DOI={10.1603/0013-8746(2006)99[1101:RAACBS]2.0.CO;2}, abstractNote={There are several species of subterranean termites in the United States, some of which occur sympatrically over broad geographic regions. However, there is little information on the relative abundance of the different species or the extent to which they differ with respect to colony social and spatial organization. We used microsatellite markers to investigate the relative numbers of colonies, to infer colony breeding structures, and to delineate colony foraging areas in four species of subterranean termites occurring in a state park in Charleston, SC. The two most abundant species, Reticulitermes hageni Banks and Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), which together accounted for 80% of the 49 colonies sampled, had fairly localized foraging ranges of <30 m across. In contrast, Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks) and the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, had far fewer colonies, but these colonies were more expansive, spanning distances >100 linear m. Colonies of all species were primarily simple families each headed by a single monogamous pair of reproductives. Generally, the remaining colonies of each species were consistent with being extended families, i.e., headed by multiple neotenic reproductives descended from simple families. Only in R. flavipes was a mixed family colony detected, with workers from two distinct families occurring together. These results from molecular markers reveal how the various species in a relatively diverse subterranean termite community can vary in abundance, size of colony foraging area and breeding structure, thereby setting the stage for subsequent studies to identify the factors shaping these communities.}, number={6}, journal={ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA}, author={Vargo, Edward L. and Juba, Thomas R. and Deheer, Christopher J.}, year={2006}, month={Nov}, pages={1101–1109} }
 @article{deheer_kutnik_vargo_bagneres_2005, title={The breeding system and population structure of the termite Reticulitermes grassei in Southwestern France}, volume={95}, ISSN={["0018-067X"]}, DOI={10.1038/sj.hdy.6800744}, abstractNote={We assessed colony and population structure in three French populations of the termite Reticulitermes grassei using eight polymorphic microsatellite loci. Although most colonies contained the offspring of multiple, highly related replacement reproductives (complex families), some contained the offspring of a single pair of reproductives (simple families), and the proportion of such colonies varied across populations. Populations also showed variability in the numbers of reproductives within complex families; the F-statistics of these families in one population were consistent with having upwards of 100 replacement reproductives, while in another population these colonies contained fewer than 10 pairs of reproductives. Colony boundaries in all populations were well defined, in spite of reports of a widespread breakdown in nestmate recognition and unicolonial populations of R. grassei from these regions in France. A second unexpected finding was a lack of significant isolation by distance among colonies within populations, indicating that colony reproduction by budding was rare or absent. The lack of this form of colony reproduction even within populations where it is expected to be common suggested that the propensity for colony budding may not be as common as suggested by the literature.}, number={5}, journal={HEREDITY}, author={DeHeer, CJ and Kutnik, M and Vargo, EL and Bagneres, AG}, year={2005}, month={Nov}, pages={408–415} }
 @article{deheer_vargo_2004, title={Colony genetic organization and colony fusion in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes as revealed by foraging patterns over time and space}, volume={13}, DOI={10.1046/j.1365-294X.2003.02065.x}, number={2}, journal={Molecular Ecology}, author={Deheer, C. J. and Vargo, E. L.}, year={2004}, pages={431–441} }
 @article{deheer_vargo_2004, title={Colony genetic organization and colony fusion in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes as revealed by foraging patterns over time and space}, volume={13}, ISSN={["1365-294X"]}, DOI={10.1046/j.1365-294x.2003.2065.x}, abstractNote={Temporal and spatial analyses are seldom utilized in the study of colony genetic structure, but they are potentially powerful methods which can yield novel insights into the mechanisms underlying variation in breeding systems. Here we present the results of a study which incorporated both of these dimensions in an examination of genetic structure of subterranean termites in the genus Reticulitermes (primarily R. flavipes). Most colonies of this species (70%) were simple families apparently headed by outbred primary reproductives, while most of the remaining (27% of the total) colonies contained low effective numbers of moderately inbred reproductives. Mapping the spatial distribution of colony foraging sites over time revealed that despite the high colony density, the absolute foraging boundaries of most R. flavipes colonies were persistent and exclusive of other conspecific colonies, which suggests that this species is more territorial than has been implied by laboratory studies of intraspecific aggression. Nevertheless, we found a single colony (3% of all colonies) which contained the offspring of more than two unrelated reproductives. Although other studies have also described subterranean termite colonies with a similarly complex genetic composition, we demonstrate here that such colonies can form under natural conditions via the fusion of whole colonies. This study underscores how repeated sampling from individual colonies over time and space can yield information about colony spatial and genetic structure that cannot be obtained from conventional analyses or sampling methods.}, number={2}, journal={MOLECULAR ECOLOGY}, author={Deheer, CJ and Vargo, EL}, year={2004}, month={Feb}, pages={431–441} }
 @article{deheer_herbers_2004, title={Population genetics of the socially polymorphic ant Formica podzolica}, volume={51}, ISSN={["1420-9098"]}, DOI={10.1007/s00040-004-0745-1}, number={4}, journal={INSECTES SOCIAUX}, author={DeHeer, CJ and Herbers, JM}, year={2004}, pages={309–316} }
 @article{deheer_2002, title={A comparison of the colony-founding potential of queens from single- and multiple-queen colonies of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta}, volume={64}, ISSN={["1095-8282"]}, DOI={10.1006/anbe.2002.3095}, abstractNote={Newly mated queens from the polygyne (multiple-queen) form of S. invicta show a weight polymorphism that correlates with their genotype at the protein locus Gp-9. Although this variation in weight might be expected to translate into variation in the ability of queens to initiate new colonies using stored energy reserves, a systematic examination of the colony-founding ability of newly mated polygyne-derived queens of different weights has never been reported. Here I compare the ability of monogyne-derived queens (Gp-9BB M), heavy polygyne-derived queens (Gp-9BB P), and light polygyne-derived queens (Gp-9Bb P) to initiate their own colonies using only stored energy reserves. Most measurements of the ants' abilities yielded the following scale of competency:Gp-9BB M>Gp-9BB P>Gp-9Bb P. Surprisingly, most mated polygyne-derived queens of even the lighter genotype were capable of rearing considerable numbers of workers in isolation. This ability may be enhanced substantially in the field if such queens cooperate in initiating new nests (pleometrosis). These results are concordant with the growing body of work that implicates a simply inherited genetic polymorphism for the control of a complex social trait in this ant, and they indicate that the modes of reproduction in polygyne fire ants may show considerable diversity.Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .}, journal={ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR}, author={DeHeer, CJ}, year={2002}, month={Oct}, pages={655–661} }