A life history continuum in the males of a Neotropical ant assemblage: refuting the sperm vessel hypothesis

TY - JOUR

T1 - A life history continuum in the males of a Neotropical ant assemblage

T2 - refuting the sperm vessel hypothesis

AU - Shik, Jonathan Z.

AU - Flatt, Deana

AU - Kay, Adam

AU - Kaspari, Michael

PY - 2012/3

Y1 - 2012/3

N2 - Animal lifespans range from a few days to many decades, and this life history diversity is especially pronounced in ants. Queens can live for decades. Males, in contrast, are often assumed to act as ephemeral sperm delivery vessels that die after a brief mating flight-a view developed from studies of lekking species in temperate habitats. In a tropical ant assemblage, we found that males can live days to months outside the nest, a trait hypothesized to be associated with female calling, another common mating system. We combined feeding experiments with respirometry to show that lifespan can be enhanced over 3 months by feeding outside the nest. In one focal female calling species, Ectatomma ruidum, feeding enhanced male lifespan, but not sperm content. Extended lifespans outside the nest suggest stronger than expected selection on premating traits of male ants, although the ways these traits shape male mating success remain poorly understood.

AB - Animal lifespans range from a few days to many decades, and this life history diversity is especially pronounced in ants. Queens can live for decades. Males, in contrast, are often assumed to act as ephemeral sperm delivery vessels that die after a brief mating flight-a view developed from studies of lekking species in temperate habitats. In a tropical ant assemblage, we found that males can live days to months outside the nest, a trait hypothesized to be associated with female calling, another common mating system. We combined feeding experiments with respirometry to show that lifespan can be enhanced over 3 months by feeding outside the nest. In one focal female calling species, Ectatomma ruidum, feeding enhanced male lifespan, but not sperm content. Extended lifespans outside the nest suggest stronger than expected selection on premating traits of male ants, although the ways these traits shape male mating success remain poorly understood.

U2 - 10.1007/s00114-012-0884-6

DO - 10.1007/s00114-012-0884-6

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0028-1042

VL - 99

SP - 191

EP - 197

JO - Naturwissenschaften

JF - Naturwissenschaften

IS - 3

ER -