Skip to main content
Log in

Female production within the gall and male production on leaves by individual alates of a social aphid

  • Research article
  • Published:
Insectes Sociaux Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

The social aphid Astegopteryx spinocephala forms a banana-bunch shaped gall, consisting of several subgalls, on Styrax benzoides in northern Thailand. The aphid’s life cycle is non-host alternating. Alates (sexuparae) containing both male and female embryos appear near the end of the dry season, when many sexuals and eggs are found in subgalls guarded by sterile soldiers. Our experiments revealed that these alates give birth to almost all (99%) females within the natal subgall before flying but most (73–86%) males on leaves of the host tree after flying, and that these first-instar males intrude into live subgalls for mating. The fact that some (14–27%) males are deposited in the natal subgall indicates the occurrence of both outbreeding and inbreeding, or some level of local mate competition (LMC), in this mating system. However, the primary (investment) sex ratio was estimated to be near 0.5. This suggests that factors other than LMC, a candidate for which is local resource competition, might also affect the sex ratio in A. spinocephala.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Aoki.

Additional information

Received 19 March 2007; revised 12 July 2007; accepted 13 August 2007.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Aoki, S., Kurosu, U. & Buranapanichpan, S. Female production within the gall and male production on leaves by individual alates of a social aphid. Insect. Soc. 54, 356–362 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-007-0955-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-007-0955-4

Keywords:

Navigation