Comparison of colony foundation success between sexual pairs and female asexual units in the termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
Comparison of colony foundation success between sexual pairs and female asexual units in the termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
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DOI：
10.1007/pl00012022
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发表时间：
2001-08-01
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
Nishida, T
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Matsuura, K;Nishida, T
在白蚁中，雄性和雌性通常合作建立一个殖民地。然而，配对效率往往是低散白蚁speratus，因为有限的求偶范围，女性偏向的性比，和一个相对较低的呼叫能力。未能与男性配对的女性发现殖民地要么在女性对女性，甚至单独。在实验室中，我们研究了单个雌性（F），雌性-雌性配对（FF）和正常雄性-雌性配对（FM）的群体基础。直到殖民地的基础（当白蚁开始挖掘木材诱饵）的时间显着不同的单位类型。直到挖掘的时间是更长的单个女性比FF和FM单位，这反映了殖民地的基础相对成功。单个雌性的存活率也显著低于FF和FM单位雌性，尽管FF和FM单位之间没有差异。这一结果表明，合作，甚至女性女性，促进女性生存。然而，每名女性的后代数量显着低于FF单位比FM单位，可能是因为女性的FF单位必须共享生殖输出。这些结果使我们得出结论，一个正常的一夫一妻制对是最好的单位为殖民地的基础。尽管如此，女性可以单独建立殖民地孤雌生殖，甚至女性-女性合作促进殖民地基础的成功，如果配对与男性是不可能的。考虑到女性在F和FF单位的功能决定花多少时间寻找一个男性伴侣，我们认为，这些兼性途径的群体基础单性生殖具有适应意义。
In termites, a male and a female usually found a colony cooperatively. However, pairing efficiency tends to be low in Reticulitermes speratus because of a limited mate-searching range, the female-biased sex ratio, and a relatively low calling ability. Females that fail to pair with males found colonies either in female-female pairs or even alone. In the laboratory, we examined colony foundation by single females (F), female-female pairs (FF), and normal male-female pairs (FM). The time until colony foundation (when termites began excavating wood baits) differed significantly among the unit types. Time until excavation was much longer for single females than for FF and FM units, which reflects the relative success of colony foundation. The survival rate of single females was also significantly lower than that of FF- and FM-unit females, although there was no difference between FF and FM units. This result demonstrates that cooperation, even female-female, promotes female survivorship. Nevertheless, the number of progeny per female was significantly lower in FF units than in FM units, possibly because females of FF units must share reproductive output. These results lead us to the conclusion that a normal monogamous pair is the best unit for colony foundation. Nevertheless, females alone can establish colonies by parthenogenesis, and even female-female cooperation promotes colony foundation success if pairing with males is not possible. Considering the functional decision for females in F and FF units of how much time to spend searching for a male mate, we believe that these facultative pathways of colony foundation by parthenogenesis have adaptive significance.