|
|
New case of mixed reproductive strategy and its adaptive significance in the neotropical termite Silvestritermes minutus (Termitidae: Syntermitinae)
Křivánek, Jan ; Hanus, Robert (advisor) ; Žďárek, Jan (referee)
Thanks to the progress in genetic methods in population ecology, many critical discoveries were recently made in the field of reproductive strategies of social insect. Among them is the description of mixed reproductive strategies, combining advantages of sexual reproduction with thelytokous parthenogenesis. The queens of such species produce sterile castes through classical sexual process from fertilized eggs, while future queens develop asexually from unfertilized eggs. This original breeding system was first described in several genera of ants, but it was found very recently, that it is not restricted to social Hymenoptera, since it has been identified also in the phylogenetically remote eusocial clade of termites. Switching between the sexual process and thelytokous parthenogenesis, now known as Asexual Queen Succession (AQS), which enables a continuity of genetically almost identical queen generations after the death of the founding primary queen, was first reported only in one genus of lower termites, i.e. Reticulitermes. Recently, our research group participated at the identification of AQS in four other species from two subfamilies in higher termites. One of these species is Silvestritermes minutus. This species is locally abundant in French Guiana and lives in small, well shaped nests on...
|
guest ::
