par Davila Garces, Juan Francisco 
;Aron, Serge
Référence Journal of insect physiology, 100, page (71-76)
Publication Publié, 2017
;Aron, Serge Référence Journal of insect physiology, 100, page (71-76)
Publication Publié, 2017
Article révisé par les pairs
| Résumé : | Sperm cells are costly to produce; diet should therefore affect sperm number and/or viability. In non-social insects and vertebrates, there is compelling evidence that diet influences sperm production. Less is known about this relationship in eusocial hymenopterans (all ants and some bees and wasps), whose mating systems impose unique selective pressures on sperm production. Males face physiological constraints: they acquire all of the resources they will use in future reproductive efforts as larvae and emerge from the pupal stage with a fixed, non-renewable amount of sperm. Furthermore, males die shortly after copulation, but their genetic material persists for years since their spermatozoa are stored in their mates’ spermathecae. We examined the effects of protein restriction during larval development on sperm number and viability in the Argentine ant Linepithema humile. We also looked at its impact on male development, adult mass, and adult fluctuating asymmetry. We found that protein restriction during larval development significantly reduced sperm production, but not sperm viability. It did not affect the number of males reared, male mass, or male asymmetry. However, males from protein-restricted nests developed much more slowly than males from protein-supplemented nests. These results suggest investing in sperm quality and in somatic growth, which enhances a male's ability to disperse and find a mate, are critical to successful male reproduction. |
