Polyandry in the genus Apis , particularly Apis andreniformis

Oldroyd, Benjamin P.; Clifton, Morag J.; Wongsiri, Siriwat; Rinderer, Thomas E.; Sylvester, H. Allen; Crozier, Ross H.

doi:10.1007/s002650050311

Cited by 92 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…Comparable genetic marker studies of eusocial bees and wasps have revealed high levels of multiple paternity in several Apis honey bees (>10 mates per queen; Estoup et al 1994;Moritz et al 1995;Oldroyd et al 1997), and in two species of vespine wasps (Vespula maculifrons: m e = 7.1: Ross 1986; V. squamosa: m e = 3.3: Ross and Carpenter 1991). However, the levels of multiple paternity found in ants have so far been considerably lower.…”

Section: Multiple Queen Mating and Paternity In Antsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple mating and facultative polygyny in the Panamanian leafcutter ant Acromyrmex echinatior

Bekkevold¹,

Frydenberg²,

Boomsma³

1999

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

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Queen mating frequency of the facultatively polygynous ant Acromyrmex echinatior was investigated by analysing genetic variation at an (AG) n repeat microsatellite locus in workers and sexuals of 20 colonies from a single Panamanian population. Thirteen colonies were found to be monogynous, 5 colonies contained multiple queens, whereas the queen number of 2 colonies remained unresolved. Microsatellite genotypes indicated that 12 out of 13 queens were inseminated by multiple males (polyandry). The mean queen mating frequency was 2.53 and the mean genetically e ective paternity frequency was 2.23. These values range among the highest found in ants, and the results are in keeping with the high mating frequencies reported for other species of leafcutter ants. Consistent skew in the proportional representation of di erent patrilines within colonies was found, and this remained constant in two consecutive samples of o spring. Dissections showed that all examined queens from multiple-queen colonies were mated egg-layers. The mean relatedness value among nestmate workers in polygynous colonies was lower than that for monogynous colonies. No diploid males were detected in a sample of 70 genotyped males. Worker production of males was detected in one queenless colony. We discuss our ®ndings in relation to known patterns of multiple maternity and paternity in other eusocial Hymenoptera.

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Section: Multiple Queen Mating and Paternity In Antsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple mating and facultative polygyny in the Panamanian leafcutter ant Acromyrmex echinatior

Bekkevold¹,

Frydenberg²,

Boomsma³

1999

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

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“…The results of this study suggest that in A. andreniformis between 70 and 80% of the spermatozoa from the first drones reach the spermatheca. Comparing the average number of matings (13.5; [14]) and the average number of spermatozoa in the vesiculae seminales (0.13 million; [5]) and in the spermatheca (0.78 million; Tab. III), each drone could transfer an average of 0.05 million spermatozoa, which corresponds to about 40% of their spermatozoa.…”

Section: Mating Sign?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…III), each drone could transfer an average of 0.05 million spermatozoa, which corresponds to about 40% of their spermatozoa. Considering 9 effective matings [14], most drones inject 0.086 million spermatozoa − on average 66%. The same calculation for A. mellifera (drones: 10 million; queens: 5 million; and about 13 matings [14]) shows that 3.5% of their spermatozoa reach the spermatheca.…”

Section: Mating Sign?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering 9 effective matings [14], most drones inject 0.086 million spermatozoa − on average 66%. The same calculation for A. mellifera (drones: 10 million; queens: 5 million; and about 13 matings [14]) shows that 3.5% of their spermatozoa reach the spermatheca. which the sperm passes the entrance to the spermaduct.…”

Section: Mating Sign?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to these sperm counts, it was suggested that queens mate a minimum of 8 times. The offspring of 4 A. andreniformis queens were analyzed by Oldroyd et al [14] using 4 polymorphic microsatellite loci with sufficient allelic variation. They found that each of these 4 queens mated between 10 and 21 times.…”

Section: Original Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

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Mating flights and sperm transfer in the dwarf honeybee Apis andreniformis (Smith, 1858)

Koeniger

Kœniger

Tingek³

et al. 2000

Apidologie

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-Mating flights of 3 virgin queens of Apis andreniformis were observed at their natural nesting site. They initiated mating flights between 12.33 and 12.50 h. The flight duration was between 19 and 23 minutes. The sting chamber of the returning queens contained the orange-colored secretion from the cornual gland of the drone's endophallus. Immediately after the mating flights, the queens were dissected. No sperm was detected in the oviducts, but spermatozoa were found in the spermathecae. In 2 queens, the spermathecae contained 0.09 million spermatozoa, which corresponds to about 75% of the sperm of 1 drone. The third queen had 0.31 million spermatozoa. The spermatozoa in the spermatheca were observed to be moving, and formed an undulating thread. These results suggest that sperm is transferred not into the oviducts but directly into the spermatheca (via the spermaduct). Seven egg-laying queens of unknown age had between 0.33 and 1.26 million spermatozoa in their spermathecae. The mode of sperm transfer is discussed in relation to the number and sequence of the spermatozoa received from each drone in the spermatheca.Apis andreniformis / queen / mating flight / sperm transfer/ spermatozoa count

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Unequal subfamily proportions among honey bee queen and worker brood

Tilley

Oldroyd

1997

Animal Behaviour

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Polyandry in the genus Apis , particularly Apis andreniformis

Cited by 92 publications

References 74 publications

Multiple mating and facultative polygyny in the Panamanian leafcutter ant Acromyrmex echinatior

Multiple mating and facultative polygyny in the Panamanian leafcutter ant Acromyrmex echinatior

Mating flights and sperm transfer in the dwarf honeybee Apis andreniformis (Smith, 1858)

Unequal subfamily proportions among honey bee queen and worker brood

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