Single mating and its implications for kinship structure in a multiple-queen wasp, Parachartergus colobopterus

The number of matings by social insect queens is an important determinant of the kinship structure of their colonies, and it is therefore expected to affect a variety of kin-selected worker strategies. Here we report mate number data for Parachartergus colobopterus, the first such data for any member of the polygynous epiponine wasps. Mate number is assessed by microsatellite genotyping of the sperm stored in queen spermathecae. Queens of this species mate only once. This finding is consistent with a prediction of several theories positing that multiple mating functions to increase genetic diversity and is therefore less necessary in multiple-queen species. The finding of single mating, together with earlier data, allows estimation of effective queen numbers for all colonies, 4.40 queens, for male-producing colonies, 4.16 queens, and for queen-producing colonies, 1.18.

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