POPULATION STRUCTURE, LOCAL MATE COMPETITION, AND SEX-ALLOCATION PATTERN IN THE ANT <i>MESSOR ACICULATUS</i>

Abstract

Population-genetic structure and sex-allocation ratios were investigated for the ant Messor aciculatus, a species that conducts mass nuptial flights. An electrophoretic survey on two polymorphic loci revealed excessive homozygosities in two populations. Because inbreeding inside nests does not occur, the heterozygote deficiency may result from population subdivision rather than assortative inbreeding during nuptial flights. Assuming no inbreeding, a simulation based on the observed genotype distribution in the study site suggested that, on average, a breeding swarm consists of alates from only 1.7 colonies. This population genetic structure seems to cause local mate competition (LMC), a factor that can shift population sex ratio toward females. The sex-allocation ratio to males in the population (0.166 ± 0.030; mean ± SE) was significantly female biased and lower than the expected optima for queens (0.5) and for workers (0.25) without LMC. Sex-ratio variability among colonies was explained by a pattern of constant male investment, which is predictable assuming LMC. Thus, the study provides the first evidence of LMC in ants with mass nuptial flights and contradicts previous assumptions about breeding structure in swarming ants. The results suggest that LMC can affect sex-allocation patterns for ant colonies and populations.