Male soldier caste larvae are non-aggressive in the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum.
Polyembryonic wasps are the only parasitoids in which sociality has evolved. Theory implicates both competition and sex ratio manipulation in the evolution of a sterile soldier caste. However, investment in soldiers by males and females is predicted to differ depending upon how offspring are allocated to hosts and the mating system. Here, we compared male and female soldiers in the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum. We found that male and female soldiers are morphologically identical. Unlike females, however, male soldiers were non-aggressive towards all competitors. We discuss these results in relation to theory and polyembryonic wasp biology.
Giron
David
D
Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR-CNRS 6035, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, 37200 Tours, France.
Harvey
Jeffrey A
JA
Johnson
Jena Anne
JA
Strand
Michael R
MR
D000374:Aggression; D000818:Animals; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D014863:Wasps / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*