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Science 27 March 2009:
Vol. 323. no. 5922, p. 1687
DOI: 10.1126/science.1169702
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Brevia

Queen Succession Through Asexual Reproduction in Termites

Kenji Matsuura,1* Edward L. Vargo,2 Kazutaka Kawatsu,3 Paul E. Labadie,2 Hiroko Nakano,1 Toshihisa Yashiro,1 Kazuki Tsuji4

The evolution and maintenance of sexual reproduction may involve important tradeoffs because asexual reproduction can double an individual's contribution to the gene pool but reduces diversity. Moreover, in social insects the maintenance of genetic diversity among workers may be important for colony growth and survival. We identified a previously unknown termite breeding system in which both parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction are conditionally used. Queens produce their replacements asexually but use normal sexual reproduction to produce other colony members. These findings show how eusociality can lead to extraordinary reproductive systems and provide important insights into the advantages and disadvantages of sex.

1 Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
2 Department of Entomology and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695–7613, USA.
3 Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
4 Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 900-0213, Japan.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kenjijpn{at}cc.okayama-u.ac.jp

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)