TY - JOUR 
A1 - Mongue, Andrew J.
AU - Michaelides, Sozos
AU - Coombe, Oliver
AU - Tena, Alejandro
AU - Kim, Dong-Soon
AU - Normark, Benjamin B.
AU - Gardner, Andy
AU - Hoddle, Mark S.
AU - Ross, Laura
T1 - Sex, males, and hermaphrodites in the scale insect Icerya purchasi
Y1 - 2021
SN - 1558-5646
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/7826
AB - Androdioecy (the coexistence of males and hermaphrodites) is a raremating system for which the evolutionary dynamics are poorly
understood. Here, we investigate the cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi, one of only three reported cases of androdioecy in
insects. In this species, female-like hermaphrodites have been shown to produce sperm and self-fertilize. However, males are
ocassionally observed as well. In a large genetic analysis, we show for the first time that, although self-fertilization appears to
be the primary mode of reproduction, rare outbreeding events do occur in natural populations, supporting the hypothesis that
hermaphrodites mate with males and hence androdioecy is the mating system of I. purchasi. Thus, this globally invasive pest insect appears to enjoy the colonization advantages of a selfing organism while also benefitting from periodic reintroduction of genetic variation through outbreeding with males.
KW - Androdioecy
KW - haplodiploidy
KW - Microsatellite markers
KW - H10  Pests of plants
KW - L53  Animal physiology - Reproduction
KW - Mating systems
KW - Population genetics
KW - Scale insects
LA - en
PB - Wiley Online Library
ER -