Abstract
In Vollenhovia emeryi, males produced by the short-winged queens (S males) have the same genotype of genomic opsin gene as the long-winged queens (L queens) rather than the cohabiting S queens. This fact suggests that either one of the following two events might have occurred, (1) a recent gene flow between the S males and the L queens or (2) a past hybridization event between them. In order to test these hypotheses, we analyzed the nuclear genome and the mitochondrial DNA of L males, L queens, and sperm from the L queens’ spermathecae. Results showed that genotype frequencies differed significantly between L males and L queens and between the sperm and L queens. Mitochondrial haplotypes of the sperm were consistent with their queen. These indicate that (1) queens of the L form mated only with the males that have been produced by L queens, and thus there is no gene flow from S males to L queens; (2) males of the L-form clonally produce sons as males of the S-form do; and (3) genotype similarity between S males and L queens indicates a past hybridization event.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cahan S.H., Julian G.E., Rissing S.W., Schwander T., Parker J.D. and Keller L. 2004. Loss of phenotypic plasticity generates genotype–caste association in harvester ants. Curr. Biol. 14: 2277-2282
Foucaud J., Jourdan H., Breton L.J., Loiseau A., Konghouleux D. and Estoup A. 2006. Rare sexual reproduction events in the clonal reproduction system of introduced populations of the little fire ant. Evolution 60: 1646-1657
Foucaud J., Fournier D., Orivel J., Delabie J.H.C., Loiseau A., Breton L.J., Kergoat G.J. and Estoup A. 2007. Sex and clonality in the little fire ant. Mol. Biol. Evol. 24: 2465-2473
Foucaud J., Orivel J., Fournier D., Delabie J.H.C., Loiseau A., Breton L.J., Cerdan P. and Estoup A. 2009a. Reproductive system, social organization, human disturbance and ecological dominance in native populations of the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata. Mol. Ecol. 18: 5059-5073
Foucaud J., Jourdan H., Breton L.J., Loiseau A., Konghouleux D. and Estoup A. 2009b. Thelytokous parthenogenesis, male clonality and genetic caste determination in the little fire ant: new evidence and insights from the lab. Heredity 25: 1-8
Fournier D. and Aron S. 2009. Evolution: no-male’s land for an Amazonian Ant. Curr. Biol. 19: 738-740
Fournier D., Estoup A., Orivel J., Foucaud J. and Heinze J. 2005. Clonal reproduction by males and females in the little fire ant. Nature 435: 1230-1234
Hamaguchi K., Matsumoto T., Maruyama M., Hashimoto Y., Yamane S. and Itioka T. 2007. Isolation and characterization of eight microsatellite loci in two morphotypes of the Southeast Asian army ant, Aenictus laeviceps. Mol. Ecol. Notes 7: 986-987
Hölldobler B. and Wilson E.O. 1990. The Ants. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. 732 pp
Imai H.T., Kihara A., Kondoh M., Kubota M., Kuribayashi S., Ogata K., Onoyama K., Taylor R.W., Terayama M., Tsukii Y., Yoshimura M. and Ugawa Y. 2003. Ants of Japan. Gakken, Tokyo. 129 pp
Kobayashi K., Hasegawa E. and Ohkawara K. 2008. Clonal reproduction by males of the ant Vollenhovia emeryi (Wheeler). Entomol. Sci. 11: 167-172
Ohkawara K., Nakayama M., Satoh A., Trindl A. and Heinze J. 2006. Clonal reproduction and genetic caste differences in a queen-polymorphic ant, Vollenhovia emeryi. Biol. Lett. 2: 359-363
Pearcy M., Hardy O. and Aron S. 2006. Thelytokous parthenogenesis and its consequences on inbreeding in an ant. Heredity 96: 377-382
Rabeling C., Lino-Neto J., Cappellari S.C., Dos Santos I.A., Mueller U.G. and Bacci M. Jr. 2009. Thelytokous parthenogenesis in the fungus-gardening ant Mycocepurus smithii (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). PLoS One 4: e6781
Acknowledgments
We thank Kei Tamura, Masato Hitokoto, and Misato Okamoto for helping with field sampling and Keiko Hamaguchi for technical advice on microsatellite isolation. This study was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) to EH, No. 20370030.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
K. Kobayashi is a JSPS Research Fellow.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kobayashi, K., Hasegawa, E. & Ohkawara, K. No gene flow between wing forms and clonal reproduction by males in the long-winged form of the ant Vollenhovia emeryi . Insect. Soc. 58, 163–168 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-010-0131-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-010-0131-0