Jacobs, Susanne and Heinze, Juergen (2017) Between fighting and tolerance: reproductive biology of wingless males in the ant Cardiocondyla venustula. INSECT SCIENCE, 24 (5). pp. 818-828. ISSN 1672-9609, 1744-7917
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Male reproductive tactics vary widely across the species of the ant genus Cardiocondyla, from obligatory lethal combat among co-occurring males to complete mutual tolerance. The African species C. venustula Wheeler, 1908 has an intermediate phylogenetic position between taxa with fighting males and taxa with tolerant males and also shows an intermediate male behavior. Males from 2 native populations in South Africa and a population introduced to Puerto Rico attacked and killed freshly eclosing rivals but rarely engaged in deadly fights with adult competitors. Instead, several males per colony established small territories in their natal nests and defended them against other males. Males with a stable territory had more contact with female sexuals than nonterritorial males and more frequently engaged in mating attempts. In controlled choice experiments, female sexuals did not show any preference for particular males. We suggest that male territoriality in C. venustula is an adaptation to the seasonal production of large numbers of female sexuals by multiple mothers.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | LOCAL MATE COMPETITION; DIMORPHIC MALES; MATING-BEHAVIOR; TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOR; POPULATION-STRUCTURE; SEXUAL SELECTION; HYMENOPTERA; EVOLUTION; FORMICIDAE; INSECTS; Cardiocondyla; ergatoid males; Formicidae; male competition; sexual selection; territoriality |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 590 Zoological sciences |
| Divisions: | Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Zoologie > Zoologie/Evolutionsbiologie (Prof. Dr. Jürgen Heinze) |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Dec 2018 13:19 |
| Last Modified: | 13 Feb 2019 12:52 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/2124 |
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