The operational sex ratio experienced by mothers modulates the expression of sons’ alternative reproductive tactics in spider mites.
Male alternative reproductive tactics have been observed in two-spotted spider mites Tetranychus urticae, where male-male competition for female access is intense. It has been shown that one’s own condition and surrounding environment, such as age and surrounding male density, can affect reproductive tactics. Researchers from the University of Tsukuba, University of Groningen, and University of Vienna reported that the social environment, such as the sex ratio experienced by mothers, can also affect the reproductive behavior of their sons.
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This study was financially supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) (invitation fellowship L18534 to PS and YS, and KAKENHI grants 17K07556 and 20K06810 to YS).
Original Paper
Title of original paper: The operational sex ratio experienced by mothers modulates the expression of sons’ alternative reproductive tactics in spider mites Journal: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03370-2
Correspondence
Assistant Professor SATO Yukie
Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba
