Short-sighted evolution of virulence in parasitic honeybee workers (Apis mellifera capensis Esch.) |
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Authors: | Robin F A Moritz Christian W W Pirk H Randall Hepburn Peter Neumann |
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Institution: | Institut für Biologie, Molekulare Okologie, Martin-Luther-Universit?t Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. r.moritz@zoologie.uni-halle.de |
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Abstract: | The short-sighted selection hypothesis for parasite virulence predicts that winners of within-host competition are poorer at transmission to new hosts. Social parasitism by self-replicating, female-producing workers occurs in the Cape honeybee Apis mellifera capensis, and colonies of other honeybee subspecies are susceptible hosts. We found high within-host virulence but low transmission rates in a clone of social parasitic A. m. capensis workers invading the neighbouring subspecies A. m. scutellata. In contrast, parasitic workers from the endemic range of A. m. capensis showed low within-host virulence but high transmission rates. This suggests a short-sighted selection scenario for the host-parasite co-evolution in the invasive range of the Cape honeybee, probably facilitated by beekeeping-assisted parasite transmission in apiaries. |
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Keywords: | Apis mellifera capensis Evolution Short-sighted selection Social parasitism Worker reproduction |
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