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Male‐killer dynamics in the tropical butterfly, Acraea encedana (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
Author(s) -
Hassan Sami Saeed M.,
Idris Eihab,
Majerus Michael E. N.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
insect science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1744-7917
pISSN - 1672-9609
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7917.2012.01570.x
Subject(s) - nymphalidae , wolbachia , biology , butterfly , lepidoptera genitalia , zoology , ecology , host (biology)
Sex ratio distortion in the tropical butterfly Acraea encedana is caused by infection with a male‐killing bacterium of the genus Wolbachia . Previous research on this species has reported extreme female bias, high bacterial prevalences, and full sex role reversal. In this paper, we provide an assessment for the dynamics of the male‐killer, based on a survey for sex ratios and Wolbachia prevalences among wild populations of A. encedana in Uganda. The study reveals that Wolbachia infection showed considerable variation over both spatial and temporal scales.