Male influence on sex allocation in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis |
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Authors: | D M Shuker E M Sykes L E Browning L W Beukeboom S A West |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK;(2) Evolutionary Genetics, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Haren, P.O. Box 14, 9750 AA, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Sex allocation is an important reproductive decision for parents. However, it is often assumed that females have substantial
control over sex allocation decisions, and this is particularly true in haplodiploid insects, in which females apparently
determine sex by deciding whether to fertilise an egg (and produce a diploid daughter) or not (and produce a haploid son).
Mechanisms by which males may influence sex allocation are not so straightforward, and their potential influence on sex ratios
has been somewhat neglected. Here, we test whether males influence offspring sex ratios in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis. We show that some of the variation in observed sex ratios can be attributed to males when comparing the affect of male strain
on sex ratio. We did not find among-male variation in sex ratio with a less powerful experiment using males from only one
strain or an effect of male mating environment. Our data suggest that males can influence female sex ratios and contribute
to the variation around the sex ratios optimal for females. However, the influence is not large, suggesting that females have
more influence on sex allocation than do males. We conclude by considering whether male influences on sex ratio represent
differences in male reproductive competence or deliberate attempts by males to increase their fitness by influencing daughter
production. |
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Keywords: | Adaptation Constraints Hymenoptera Local mate competition Sex ratio Sexual conflict |
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