Mating frequency, colony size, polyethism and sex ratio in fungus-growing ants (Attini) |
| |
Authors: | T Murakami Seigo Higashi Donald Windsor |
| |
Institution: | (1) Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Japan, JP;(2) Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Japan, JP;(3) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Republica of Panama, PA |
| |
Abstract: | The mating frequency of queens was estimated for eight attine ant species, Myrmicocrypta ednaella, Apterostigma mayri, Cyphomyrmex costatus, C. rimosus (four lower attines), Trachymyrmex isthmicus, Serico-myrmex amabalis, Acromyrmex octospinosus and Atta colombica (four higher attines), and correlated to colony size, worker polyethism, and sex ratio. Mating frequency was calculated from
within-colony relatedness estimated by CAP-PCR DNA fingerprinting. Most queens of lower attines and T. isthmicus mated with only one male, while those of the three higher attines mated with multiple males. Mating frequency was positively
correlated with colony size. Polyethism among workers was dependent on worker age in lower attines but on body size in higher
attines, suggesting some correlation between mating frequency (i.e., within-colony gene diversity) and caste complexity. The
sex ratio was biased toward females in species where the mating frequency equaled one, but toward males in species where the
mating frequency was greater than two. Changing in nest site from ground surface to deep underground may have facilitated
the evolution of large colony size in Attini, and this may have resulted in the evolution of polyandry (a queen mates with
multiple males). With the evolution of polyandry in higher attines, Atta and Acromyrmex in particular have generated high genetic diversity within their colonies and complex social structures.
Received: 26 October 1999 / Revised: 25 May 2000 / Accepted: 24 June 2000 |
| |
Keywords: | Attini CAP-PCR DNA fingerprinting Polyandry Polyethism |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|