Effects of kin competition on spite behavior evolution

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26891003
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: SATO Yukie 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 助教 (60414629)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-08-29 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 血縁選択説 / 雄の殺し合い行動 / 進化 / 血縁度 / 社会性 / ハダニ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated recent kin selection theory considering kin competition, by the analysis of kin structure in populations of the social spider mite, Stigmaeopsis miscanthi (Saito), which infests Japanese pampas grass (Miscanthus sinensis Anderson) leaves and shows geographic variation in male-male aggressiveness. I collected mites from six populations with high, low and intermediate male-male aggressiveness from the southern and central Ryukyu regions and the Kyushu region. Mites from each population were sampled from three different units: nest of the mite, root and stand of the host plant. DNA was then extracted from each individual (N=192) and RAD-seq carried out using Illumina HiSeq 2500, with the cooperation of the Nodai Genome Research Center. At present, sequence data is being analyzed to assess kin structure.

Free Research Field

行動生態学