AN UPPER BOUNDARY FOR THE SEX RATIO IN A HAPLODIPLOID INSECT
1976 ◽
Vol 108
(12)
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pp. 1399-1402
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Keyword(s):
The Mean
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AbstractMated females of the aphid parasite Aphidius smithi produced only unfertilized eggs (i.e. sons) for the first 2–3 h after copulation and a variable proportion of fertilized eggs (i.e. daughters) thereafter. As a result, the mean proportion of daughters among the offspring of single females was always less than unity, even in a highly favourable environment; the limiting value of the sex ratio was estimated at approximately 85% females. An argument is presented that in haplodiploid species with a variable and environmentally controlled sex ratio a male-producing mechanism is required to ensure the production of a sufficient number of males for the fertilization of all females.