Rooijakkers Eveline F, Sommeijer Marinus J
Behavioural Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.086, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
J Insect Behav. 2009 Nov;22(6):492-500. doi: 10.1007/s10905-009-9188-x. Epub 2009 Jul 23.
We studied the reproductive behaviour of the solitary bee Colletes halophilus based on the variation in cell size, larval food amount and larval sex in relation to the sexual size dimorphism in this bee. Brood cells with female larvae are larger and contain more larval food than cells with males. Occasionally males are reared in female-sized cells. We conclude that a female C. halophilus in principal anticipates the sex of her offspring at the moment brood cell construction is started. Additionally a female is able to 'change her mind' about the sex of her offspring during a single brood cell cycle. We present a model that can predict the sex of the larvae in an early stage of development.
我们基于细胞大小、幼虫食物量和幼虫性别的变化，研究了独居蜜蜂嗜盐集蜂的繁殖行为，这些变化与该蜜蜂的两性异形有关。有雌性幼虫的育幼室比有雄性幼虫的育幼室更大，且含有更多的幼虫食物。偶尔也会在适合雌性的育幼室中培育出雄性。我们得出结论，雌性嗜盐集蜂原则上在开始建造育幼室时就能预判其后代的性别。此外，雌性在单个育幼室周期内能够对其后代的性别“改变主意”。我们提出了一个可以在发育早期预测幼虫性别的模型。
