Reproduction is the avenue for gaining direct fitness. But in certain
species some individuals do not reproduce to gain direct fitness, instead
gain indirect fitness by helping relatives to reproduce; the prime
examples for this come from the worker caste of social insects like ants,
bees and wasps. Indirect fitness has been in focus for explaining the
evolution of workers while overlooking the fact that workers can also gain
direct fitness. One of the avenues for gaining direct fitness by workers
is nest foundation and I have studied this phenomenon in a social wasp. I
found that workers prepare in several ways for nest foundation, like
enhancing nutrient reserve and engaging in dominant interactions, even
before leaving their natal nests. While investigating the emergence of
cooperation and division of labour in newly founded nests, I observed how
these affect the productivities of the new nests. Finally I found that it
is ageing and nutrition and not work done towards gaining indirect fitness
that affect workers’ potential of gaining future direct fitness by
independent reproduction.