0000000001312241
AUTHOR
Ilka M. Kureck
No inbreeding depression but increased sexual investment in highly inbred ant colonies.
Inbreeding can lead to the expression of deleterious recessive alleles and to a subsequent fitness reduction. In Hymenoptera, deleterious alleles are purged in haploid males moderating inbreeding costs. However, in these haplodiploid species, inbreeding can result in the production of sterile diploid males. We investigated the effects of inbreeding on the individual and colony level in field colonies of the highly inbred ant Hypoponera opacior. In this species, outbreeding winged sexuals and nest-mating wingless sexuals mate during two separate reproductive periods. We show that regular sib-matings lead to high levels of homozygosity and the occasional production of diploid males, which spo…
Wingless ant males adjust mate-guarding behaviour to the competitive situation in the nest
We investigated whether wingless sexuals of the ant Hypoponera opacior adjust mate-guarding behaviour to the level of competition in the nest. Males mate with young nestmate females shortly before these emerge from the cocoon. Aggressive interactions among adult males have never been observed, but males embrace and guard the cocoons of their mating partners for up to 2 days. In laboratory experiments, the duration of pupal guarding increased with the number of adult males in the nest, but decreased with an increasing number of mating partners per male. These findings demonstrate that males are aware of the competitive situation in the nest and adjust their mating behaviour in an adaptive ma…
Macro- and microgeographic genetic structure in an ant species with alternative reproductive tactics in sexuals
The genetic structure of social insect populations is influenced by their social organization and dispersal modes. The ant Hypoponera opacior shows diverse reproductive behaviours with regular cycles of outbreeding via winged sexuals and inbreeding via within-nest mating wingless sexuals that reproduce by budding. This unusual life cycle should be reflected in the genetic population structure, and we studied this on different scales using microsatellites. On a macrogeographic scale, populations were considerably structured and migration rates within the Chiricahuas were higher than those in between mountain ranges. On a local scale, our analyses revealed population viscosity through depende…
Similar Performance of Diploid and Haploid Males in an Ant Species without Inbreeding Avoidance
AbstractUnder haplodiploidy, a characteristic trait of all Hymenoptera, femalesdevelop from fertilised eggs, and males from unfertilised ones. Males aretherefore typically haploid. Yet, inbreeding can lead to the production ofdiploid males that often fail in development, are sterile or are of lowerfertility. In most Hymenoptera, inbreeding is avoided by dispersal flightsof one or both sexes, leading to low diploid male loads. We investigatedcauses for the production of diploid males and their performance in ahighly inbred social Hymenopteran species. In the ant Hypoponera opacior,inbreeding occurs between wingless sexuals, which mate within themother nest, whereas winged sexuals outbreed dur…
Data from: No inbreeding depression but increased sexual investment in highly inbred ant colonies
Inbreeding can lead to the expression of deleterious recessive alleles and to a subsequent fitness reduction. In Hymenoptera, deleterious alleles are purged in haploid males moderating inbreeding costs. However, in these haplo-diploid species, inbreeding can result in the production of sterile diploid males. We investigated the effects of inbreeding on the individual and colony level in field colonies of the highly inbred ant Hypoponera opacior. In this species, outbreeding winged sexuals and nest-mating wingless sexuals mate during two separate reproductive periods. We show that regular sib-matings lead to high levels of homozygosity and the occasional production of diploid males, which sp…
Data from: Macro- and microgeographic genetic structure in an ant species with alternative reproductive tactics in sexuals
The genetic structure of social insect populations is influenced by their social organisation and dispersal modes. The ant Hypoponera opacior shows diverse reproductive behaviours with regular cycles of outbreeding via winged sexuals and inbreeding via within-nest mating wingless sexuals that reproduce by budding. This unusual life cycle should be reflected in the genetic population structure and we studied this on different scales using microsatellites. On a macrogeographic scale, populations were considerably structured and migration rates within the Chiricahuas were higher than those in-between mountain ranges. On a local scale, our analyses revealed population viscosity through dependan…