No evidence of pre-copulatory mate choice by gynes in the facultatively parthenogenetic ant Cataglyphis cursor

Florence Helft (1, 2) , C. Doums (1) , T. Monnin (2)

1 ISYEB - Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité
2 iEES - Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris

Virgin queens (gynes) of the ant Cataglyphis cursor mate on the ground at the nest entrance, where they benefit from the protection of nestmate workers. By carrying out mating tests in the laboratory, we show that gynes mate with the first males they encounter, suggesting the absence of pre-copulatory mate choice by gynes. This is in agreement with the recent finding that workers behave aggressively towards foreign males and could thereby exercise a form of inclusive mate choice, which could replace pre-copulatory mate choice by gynes.

Mots clés: Eusocial insects; Sexual selection; Inclusive mate choice; Multiple mating

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie

Florence Helft, C. Doums, T. Monnin. No evidence of pre-copulatory mate choice by gynes in the facultatively parthenogenetic ant Cataglyphis cursor. Insectes Sociaux, 2016, 63, pp.199-201. ⟨10.1007/s00040-015-0444-0⟩. ⟨hal-01233413⟩