POPULATION ECOLOGY OF ABNORMAL GEMALES PRODUCING ONLY FEMALE PROGENY IN THE GYPSYMOTH

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Male-killing refers to the death of male embryos or larvae, and is well known in a variety of organisms, such as plants, mites, and insects. We have found male-killing of about 10% females in a Hokkaido, Japan, population of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., and have found maternal inheritance of the trait. The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of male-killing strains is interesting, because the trait and mtDNA are both maternally inherited. We show here that the females of male-killing gypsy moth have the different haplotype of mtDNA in 17 bp of total 1,075 nucleotides at COI, COII and ND1 genes from those of original normal females in Hokkaido. Moreover these male-killing females have no cytoplasmiclly bacterial symbionts, that have been found in many male-killing organisms. Since the haplotype of male-killing strain is distributed widely in Asia, Asian type females mated with Hokkaido males may produce male death of the progeny. Goldschmidt has just stated such all-female broods. Although his results of intersex caused by mating with different geographic races have been denied, Goldschmidt is still alive in all-female broods of the gypsy moth in Hokkaido, Japan