Effective population size in eusocial Hymenoptera with worker-produced males.

ABSTRACT: In many eusocial Hymenoptera, a proportion of males are produced by workers. To assess the effect of male production by workers on the effective population size N(e), a general expression of N(e) in Hymenoptera with worker-produced males is derived on the basis of the genetic drift in the frequency of a neutral allele. Stochastic simulation verifies that the obtained expression gives a good prediction of N(e) under a wide range of conditions. Numerical computation with the expression indicates that worker reproduction generally reduces N(e). The reduction can be serious in populations with a unity or female-biased breeding sex ratio. Worker reproduction may increase N(e) in populations with a male-biased breeding sex ratio, only if each laying worker produce a small number of males and the

SUBMITTER: Nomura T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3476667 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature