Male reproductive success: paternity contribution to queens and workers in Formica ants
Details
State: Public
Version: author
Serval ID
serval:BIB_9D3979827605
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Male reproductive success: paternity contribution to queens and workers in Formica ants
Journal
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
ISSN
0340-5443
Publication state
Published
Issued date
1997
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
41
Number
1
Pages
11-15
Language
english
Abstract
The relative number of workers and female sexuals fathered by two males mated with a queen were directly assessed using microsatellite and allozyme markers in field colonies of the ants Formica exsecta and F. truncorum. In both species one of the two males consistently fathered more offspring than the other. There was, however, no evidence that one male might be particularly successful in fathering a disproportionally high proportion of female sexuals relative to the proportion of workers. Moreover, in F. exsecta, the proportions of worker pupae and worker adults fathered by each male did not differ significantly between cohorts. The most likely explanation for this pattern is that females store different amounts of sperm from the two males they mated with.
Keywords
male reproductive success, ants, caste determination, sperm competition
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
24/01/2008 20:22
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:03