Brood size: a major factor influencing male dimorphism in the non‐pollinating fig wasp Sycobia sp. |
| |
| Authors: | LI‐MING NIU HAO‐YUAN HU DA‐WEI HUANG YUE‐GUAN FU ZHENG‐QIANG PENG |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;2. Department of Biology, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;3. Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China;4. Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China;5. Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Environment and Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Danzhou, Hainan, China |
| |
| Abstract: | - 1 Male polymorphisms have been described in some non‐pollinating fig wasps, as well as in other animals. The proximal basis and the maintenance of alternative male reproductive strategies are either genetic or environmental.
- 2 Here we studied male dimorphism in the non‐pollinating fig wasp Sycobia sp. We conducted experimental manipulations to study the factors influencing offspring male morph allocations and explore a possible basis for the determination and maintenance of male dimorphism in Sycobia sp.
- 3 The results showed that brood size was the major and underlying factor influencing the male morph ratio. When the brood size increases, the wingless male ratio also increases.
- 4 Also, our results indicated that there was no direct maternal control on offspring male morph allocation.
- 5 Male dimorphism in Sycobia sp. probably represents an environmentally determined conditional strategy, which responded to offspring population density at the level of the individual fig.
|
| |
| Keywords: | Alternative reproductive tactics brood size conditional strategy male dimorphism non‐pollinating fig wasp |
|
|
