noun
- A female insect, especially an ant or bee, in a colony that has multiple fertile queens.
Usage: entomology; used in scientific contexts
adjective
- Relating to or denoting a colony of social insects that has multiple fertile queens.
Usage: entomology; used in scientific contexts
Examples
- The polygyne ant colony was more resilient because it had several queens producing offspring.
- Researchers studied polygyne bee colonies to understand how multiple queens coexist.
- This species exhibits polygyne behavior, allowing the colony to expand more rapidly.
- The polygyne structure of the termite nest provided advantages in resource allocation.
- Scientists compared monogyne and polygyne colonies to determine reproductive strategies.