Revealing parthenogenetic reproduction in a praying mantis inhabiting South American grasslands.

ABSTRACT: Mantids are charismatic insects due to their appearance and behaviors, but knowledge about them, in particular at the Neotropics, is scarce. Brunneria subaptera (Coptopterygidae) is the most abundant praying mantis species in Uruguay, inhabiting one of the world's largest natural grasslands. Data from collections and field observations indicated that Uruguayan samples of B. subaptera only included females, whereas both sexes were found in Argentina. This extreme-biased sex ratio could be explained through thelytokous parthenogenesis. Endosymbiotic bacteria, such as Wolbachia, can induce parthenogenesis, though their role in sex ratio distortions in diploid insects is understudied, with limited evidence from species like Mantis religiosa, where no phenotypic effects were observed. To test i

SUBMITTER: Trillo MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12464173 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature