Molecular evidence of polyandry in the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

PLoS One. 2013 Jul 3;8(7):e68241. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068241. Print 2013.

Abstract

The occurrence of polyandry in Planococcuscitri, presumed by earlier observations of mating behavior, was confirmed using microsatellite genotyping of pools of over 400 eggs resulting from controlled crosses of one female with two males. The genetic contribution of both mated males was confirmed in 13 out of 43 crosses. In three crosses it was possible to determine that only the first male fertilized the eggs, which may be due to sperm competition or unviable sperm supply. The microsatellite analysis also allowed the confirmation of aspects of the chromosomal inheritance detected previously in cytogenetic studies in Planococcuscitri, namely that only one of the alleles is transmitted by the male, indicating that the males are functionally haploid, supporting the observation of Paternal Genome Elimination (PGE) in these insects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Animals
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • Female
  • Genes, Insect
  • Genetic Loci
  • Genotype
  • Hemiptera / genetics*
  • Male
  • Microsatellite Repeats
  • Sexual Behavior, Animal*

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal (http://www.fct.pt/;project PTDC/AGR-AAM/099560/2008). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.