Pleometrosis in phyllode-glueing thrips (Thysanoptera : Phlaeothripidae) on Australian Acacia
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| Authors: | Morris, DC; Schwarz, MP; Crespi, BJ |
| Year: | 2002 |
| Journal: | Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 75: 467-474 |
| Title: | Pleometrosis in phyllode-glueing thrips (Thysanoptera : Phlaeothripidae) on Australian Acacia |
| Abstract: | Pleometrosis, or colony founding by more than one female, is common in various social insects and it engenders opportunities for social cooperation as well as cheating. The life cycles of four species of thrips on Australian Acacia trees were examined to elucidate the extent and nature of colony founding by multiple individuals. Data from colonies of three species of thrips from the genus Dunatothrips Moulton and one species of Lichanothrips Mound were used to infer the prevalence of pleometrosis in each species. The results indicate that Dunatothrips species show high levels of cofounding, with up to 50% of colonies having more than one foundress. By contrast, colonies of Lichanothrips are predominantly established by a female and a male. As in some communal insects, pleometrosis is facultative in Dunatothrips, foundresses show more or less constant per capita reproduction with foundress number, and the selective pressures for pleometrosis may involve predation pressure during founding or survivorship insurance for the brood. In Lichanothrips, male founders are probably engaging in mate guarding, which also occurs in some species of gall-inducing thrips on Acacia. The differences in founding patterns between Dunatothrips and Lichanothrips may be due in part the nature of their domiciles: Dunatothrips engage in extensive construction of a domicile using anal secretions, whereas many Lichanothrips primarily improve a pre-existing partial enclosure. (C) 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 75, 467-474. |
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