Sex allocation in haplodiploids is mediated by egg size: evidence in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch |
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Authors: | Macke Emilie Magalhães Sara Khan Hong Do-Thi Luciano Anthony Frantz Adrien Facon Benoît Olivieri Isabelle |
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Institution: | Université Montpellier 2, UMR 5554, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier cedex 05, France. |
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Abstract: | Haplodiploid species display extraordinary sex ratios. However, a differential investment in male and female offspring might also be achieved by a differential provisioning of eggs, as observed in birds and lizards. We investigated this hypothesis in the haplodiploid spider mite Tetranychus urticae, which displays highly female-biased sex ratios. We show that egg size significantly determines not only larval size, juvenile survival and adult size, but also fertilization probability, as in marine invertebrates with external fertilization, so that female (fertilized) eggs are significantly larger than male (unfertilized) eggs. Moreover, females with on average larger eggs before fertilization produce a more female-biased sex ratio afterwards. Egg size thus mediates sex-specific egg provisioning, sex and offspring sex ratio. Finally, sex-specific egg provisioning has another major consequence: male eggs produced by mated mothers are smaller than male eggs produced by virgins, and this size difference persists in adults. Virgin females might thus have a (male) fitness advantage over mated females. |
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Keywords: | gamete size fertilization probability sex ratio offspring fitness sexual dimorphism haplodiploid species |
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