Male Production (male + production)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Life Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Microgeographic genetic structure and intraspecific parasitism in the ant Leptothorax nylanderi

ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2001
S. Foitzik
Summary 1. Genetic colony structure of the small central European ant Leptothorax nylanderi is affected strongly by ecological constraints such as nest site availability and intraspecific social parasitism. 2. Although L. nylanderi is generally monogynous and monandrous, more than a quarter of all nests collected in a dense population near Würzburg, Germany, contained several matrilines. As shown by microsatellite analysis, the average nest-mate relatedness in these nests was 0.20. Genetically heterogeneous nests arise from nest take-over by alien colonies or founding queens, a result of severe competition for nest sites. 3. In summer, more than one-third of all colonies inhabited several nest sites at a time. Polydomy appears to be rather limited, with two or three nests belonging to a single polydomous colony. 4. Queens appear to dominate male production; only a small fraction (8%) of males was definitively not progeny of the queen present but might have been worker progeny or offspring of another queen. 5. Strong evidence for heterozygote deficiency was found and a total of nine diploid males was discovered in two colonies. These findings suggest deviation from random mating through small, localised nuptial flights. [source]


Mating structure and male production in Vespa analis and Vespa simillima (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007
Jun-ichi TAKAHASHI
Abstract We estimated queen mating frequency, genetic relatedness between workers and worker reproduction in the hornets Vespa analis and Vespa simillima using microsatellite DNA genotyping. The 20 V. analis colonies studied each contained a queen inseminated by a single male. Of the 15 V. simillima colonies studied, nine had a queen inseminated by a single male, four had a queen inseminated by two males, and two had a queen inseminated by three males. The estimated effective number of matings was 1.33 ± 0.74 (mean ± SD), with 75,85% of the offspring of the six multiply mated queens sired by single males. The values for genetic relatedness between the workers of V. analis and V. simillima were 0.739 ± 0.004 and 0.698 ± 0.013 (mean ± SD), respectively. We conclude that V. analis and V. simillima colonies are genetically monogynous and monandrous. When high relatedness between the workers occurs within colonies, kin selection theory predicts a potential conflict between queens and workers over male production. To determine whether males were derived from queens or workers, males from V. analis and V. simillima colonies were genotyped at four microsatellite loci and the level of ovary activation in workers was determined. None of the 787 V. analis workers and only 15 of 3520 V. simillima workers had developed ovaries. Furthermore, the genotyping identified no worker-produced males in any colony. The presence of reproductive workers correlated positively with the number of workers within the colony. These results suggest that eusocial colonies with an annual life cycle tend to break down socially when they become large and are close to dying. [source]


UNEXPLAINED SPLIT SEX RATIOS IN THE NEOTROPICAL PLANT-ANT, ALLOMERUS OCTOARTICULATUS VAR. DEMERARAE (MYRMICINAE): A TEST OF HYPOTHESES

EVOLUTION, Issue 1 2010
Gabriel D. G. Debout
We investigated sex allocation in the Neotropical ant Allomerus octoarticulatus var. demerarae. Because Allomerus is a plant symbiont, we could make geographically extensive collections of complete colonies and of foundresses in saplings, allowing us to estimate not only population- and colony-level sex allocation but also colony resource levels and the relatednesses of competing ant foundresses. This species exhibits a strongly split sex ratio, with 80% of mature colonies producing ,90% of one sex or the other. Our genetic analyses (DNA microsatellites) reveal that Allomerus has a breeding system characterized by almost complete monogyny and a low frequency of polyandry. Contrary to theoretical explanations, we find no difference in worker relatedness asymmetries between female- and male-specialist colonies. Furthermore, no clear link was found between colony sex allocation and life history traits such as the number of mates per queen, or colony size, resource level, or fecundity. We also failed to find significant support for male production by workers, infection by Wolbachia, local resource competition, or local mate competition. We are left with the possibility that Allomerus exhibits split sex ratios because of the evolution of alternative biasing strategies in queens or workers, as recently proposed in the literature. [source]


Extreme queen-mating frequency and colony fission in African army ants

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 8 2004
DANIEL J. C. KRONAUER
Abstract Army ants have long been suspected to represent an independent origin of multiple queen-mating in the social Hymenoptera. Using microsatellite markers, we show that queens of the African army ant Dorylus (Anomma) molestus have the highest absolute (17.3) and effective (17.5) queen-mating frequencies reported so far for ants. This confirms that obligate multiple queen-mating in social insects is associated with large colony size and advanced social organization, but also raises several novel questions. First, these high estimates place army ants in the range of mating frequencies of honeybees, which have so far been regarded as odd exceptions within the social Hymenoptera. Army ants and honeybees are fundamentally different in morphology and life history, but are the only social insects known that combine obligate multiple mating with reproduction by colony fission and extremely male-biased sex ratios. This implies that the very high numbers of matings in both groups may be due partly to the relatively low costs of additional matings. Second, we were able to trace recent events of colony fission in four of the investigated colonies, where the genotypes of the two queens were only compatible with a mother,daughter relationship. A direct comparison of male production between colonies with offspring from one and two queens, respectively, suggested strongly that new queens do not produce a sexual brood until all workers of the old queen have died, which is consistent with kin selection theory. [source]


An inquiline fig wasp using seeds as a resource for small male production: a potential first step for the evolution of new feeding habits?

BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2007
RODRIGO A. SANTINELO PEREIRA
The processes allowing evolutionary transitions in resources used by parasitic wasps are largely unknown. Microhymenopteran communities associated with figs could provide a model system to investigate such transitions. We investigate here a species of genus Idarnes. The larvae generally develop as inquilines of the pollinating wasp larvae. However, in figs where the parasitic pressure is high, eggs are laid in developing seeds. These eggs turn into small males. This is the first report of seed consumption by a fig wasp. Using an alternative resource to produce small males could provide a pathway to select for increased ability to use this resource and hence provide an intermediate step for evolving the capacity to use new resources. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 92, 9,17. [source]


Heritable genetic variation and potential for adaptive evolution in asexual aphids (Aphidoidea)

BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2003
ALEX C. C. WILSON
Aphid life cycles can encompass cyclical parthenogenesis, obligate parthenogenesis, obligate parthenogenesis with male production and an intermediate ,bet-hedging' strategy where an aphid genotype will over-winter by continuing to reproduce by parthenogenesis and by investment in sexually produced eggs. In this paper, we focus on aphid lineages that reproduce entirely parthenogenetically (asexual aphids), in contrast to those that have any sexual forms in the annual cycle. Using modern molecular techniques, aphid biologists have made many empirical observations showing that asexual lineages are widespread both geographically and temporally. Indeed, we are collectively beginning to gather data on the evolution and persistence of these lineages through time. Here we review aphid karyology and parthenogenesis, both essential for interpretation of the molecular and ecological evolution of aphid asexual lineages. We describe the growing list of studies that have identified aphid genotypes that are both temporally and geographically widespread. We then collate examples of molecular and chromosomal evolution in asexual aphids and review the literature pertaining to phenotypic evolution and ecological diversification of asexual aphid lineages. In addition, we briefly discuss the potential of bacterial endosymbionts and epigenetic effects to influence the evolution of asexual aphid lineages. Lastly we provide a list of aphid taxa believed to be obligately asexual. This will be a useful resource for those seeking parthenogenetic animals as study systems. In conclusion, we present guidelines for the use of the term clone in aphid biology and stress the need for well-designed and well-executed studies examining the potential of asexual aphid lineages for adaptive evolution. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 79, 115,135. [source]