Tuesday, 28 October 2003 - 9:00 AM
0589

This presentation is part of : Ten-Minute Papers, Section Cb. Apiculture and Social Insects

Selective male mortality and polyandry in the red imported fire ant

Gary N. Fritz1, Robert K. Vander Meer2, and Catherine A. Preston2. (1) Eastern Illinois University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Lincoln Ave, Charleston, IL, (2) USDA-ARS CMAVE, Imported Fire Ants and Household Insects, 1600/1700 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL

We show for the first time in social insects, selective mortality of males lacking a particular gene as well as the first evidence for extensive polyandry in the well studied fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, model system. These phenomena have interesting consequences on multiple components of the breeding system, e.g., selective male mortality causes asymmetric gene flow between single- and multiple-queen colonies and limits female-mediated dispersal.

Species 1: Hymenoptera Formicidae Solenopsis invicta (Red Imported Fire Ant)
Keywords: multiple mating

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