Eusociality and extraordinary sex ratios in the spider Anelosimus eximius (Araneae: Theridiidae)
- 202 Downloads
- 52 Citations
Summary
Colonies of Anelosimus eximius in Panama had an average sex ratio of 0.15±sd 0.09, i.e. about five females for each male. The sex ratio in egg sacs reared was even lower (0.08±0.01), as was that of immatures in newly founded colonies (0.12±0.05). The possible mechanisms responsible are discussed. Mature colonies had an average ratio of 17 females and 2 males for each egg sac present (range: 2–91 females, 0.2–8.2 males) and contained a large proportion of females which were not inseminated but which presumably ‘help’. Since both sexes are diploid, arrhenotoky can be ruled out and it is assumed that some females do not come to reproduction, the proportion depending on the availability of resources. This mechanism may enable entire colonies to survive lean times.
Keywords
Average Ratio Entire Coloni Mature Coloni Lean TimePreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
- Aviles L (in press) Sex ratio bias in the social spider Anelosimus eximius, with comments on the possibility of group selection. Am NatGoogle Scholar
- Brach V (1975) The biology of the social spider Anelosimus eximius. Bull South Calif Acad Sci 74:37–41Google Scholar
- Bull JJ (1983) Evolution of sex determining mechanisms. Benjamin Cummings. Menlo Park, CaGoogle Scholar
- Burgess JW (1976) Social spiders. Sci Am 234:101–106Google Scholar
- Buskirk RE (1981) Sociality in the Arachnida. In: Social Insects, vol II, Hermann HR (ed). Academic Press, New York, pp 282–393Google Scholar
- Charnov EL (1982) The theory of sex allocation. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJGoogle Scholar
- Christenson TE (1984) Behaviour of colonial and solitary spiders of the theridiid species Anelosimus eximius. Anim Behav 32:725–734Google Scholar
- Hamilton WD (1964) The genetical evolution of social behaviour, I+II. J Theor Biol 7:1–16, 17–52Google Scholar
- Hamilton WD (1967) Extraordinary sex ratios. Science 156:477–488Google Scholar
- Harris H, Hopkinson DA (1978) Handbook of enzyme electrophoresis in human genetics. Elsevier, HollandGoogle Scholar
- Krafft B (1970) Les rythmes d'activité d'Agelena consociata Denis: Activite de tissage et activité locomotrice. Biol Gabonica 6:99–130Google Scholar
- Kreutzer RD, Galindo P (1980) Isozyme studies of two Melanocoion mosquitoes, Culex ocossa and Cx. panocossa. Mosq News 40:605–613Google Scholar
- Kullmann E (1972) Evolution of social behaviour in spiders. Am Zool 12:419–426Google Scholar
- Lacy RC (1980) The origin of eusociality in termites: a haploid analogy? Am Nat 116:449–451Google Scholar
- Levi HW (1956) The spider genera Neottiura and Anelosimus in America. Trans Am Microsc Soc 82:407–422Google Scholar
- Lewis KR, John B (1957) Bivalent structure in Periplaneta americana. Nature 179:973–974Google Scholar
- Lubin YD, Robinson MH (1982) Dispersal by swarming in a social spider. Science 216:319–321Google Scholar
- Nentwig W (1985) Social spiders catch larger prey: a study of Anelosimus eximius (Araneae: Theridiidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 17:79–85Google Scholar
- Novitzki E, Peacock WJ, Engel J (1965) Cytological basis of sex ratio in Drosophila pseudoobscura. Science 148:345–357Google Scholar
- Overal WL, Ferreira da Silva PaR (1982) Population dynamics of the quasisocial spider Anelosimus eximius (Araneae: Theridiidae). In: Breed MD, Michener CD, Howard HE (eds) The biology of social insects. Westview Press, Boulder Col, pp 181–181Google Scholar
- Robinson MH, Robinson B (1970) The prey caught by a sample population of the spider Argiope argentata in Panama: A years' census data. Zool J Linn Soc 49:345–357Google Scholar
- Sekiguchi K (1955) Differences in the spinning organs between male and female adult spiders. Sci Rep Tokyo Kyoiku Daigaku Sect B 8:23–32Google Scholar
- Shear WA (1970) The evolution of social phenomena in spiders. Bull Br Arachnol Soc 1:65–77Google Scholar
- Simon E (1891) Observations biologiques sur les Arachnides. Ann Soc Entomol France 60:5–16Google Scholar
- Smith DRR (1985) Population dynamics of Anelosmius eximius (Theridiidae). J Arachnol (in press)Google Scholar
- Strassman JE (1984) Female biased sex ratios in social insects lacking morphological castes. Evolution 38:256–266Google Scholar
- Syren RM, Luyckx P (1977) Permanent segmental interchange complex in the termite Incisitermes schwarzi. Nature 266:167–168Google Scholar
- Tapia Y, De Vries T (1981) Tolerancia y cooperation en la Araña social Anelosimus jucundus des bosque tropical Rio Palenque, Ecuador. Rev Univ Catholica Ecuador 8:51–74Google Scholar
- Trivers RL, Hare H (1976) Haplodiploidy and the evolution of the social insects. Science 191:249–263Google Scholar
- Vollrath F (1980) Male body size and fitness in the web-building spider Nephila clavipes. Z Tierpsychol 53:61–78Google Scholar
- Vollrath F (1982) Colony foundation in a social spider. Z Tierpsychol 60:313–324Google Scholar
- Vollrath F, Rohde-Arndt D (1983) Prey capture and feeding in the social spider Anelosimus eximius. Z Tierpsychol 61:334–340Google Scholar
- Vollrath F, Windsor D (in press) Subsocial and social Anelosimus: a comparison especially of nest defence. In: Robinson MH (ed) Proceedings IXth Internatl Arachnol CongressGoogle Scholar
- West MJ (1967) Foundress associations in polistine wasps: dominance hierarchies and the evolution of social behaviour. Science 157:1584–1585Google Scholar
- White MJD (1973) Animal cytology and evolution. (3rd ed) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UKGoogle Scholar
- Wilson EO (1971) The social insects. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MAGoogle Scholar
- Wilson DS, Colwell RK (1981) Evolution of sex ratio in structured demes. Evolution 35:882–897Google Scholar
- Zimmering S, Sandler L, Nicoletti B (1970) Mechanisms of meiotic drive. Annu Rev Genet 4:409–436Google Scholar