Sexual Selection Against Inbred Mates and Inbreeding Effects on Some Mating Properties in Bombus Terrestris

Abstract

Bumblebees are phylogenetically related to honey bees and have ecological and economic importance as pollinators of both natural flora and many crops. The mating stage is one of the most important stages in Bombus terrestris (L.) life cycle since it affects diapause success and offspring reproduction. Unlike honey bees, B. terrestris colonies are at higher risk of homozygosity because queens are monandrous. Accordingly, the quality of queens and males, as well as the kinship relationships of individuals, affect mating success much more compared to polyandrous species. In this study, we aimed to investigate sexual selection against inbred mates and inbreeding effects on some mating properties in B. terrestris . The results showed that inbreeding did not cause a significant difference in sexual selection for both queens and males of B. terrestris reared under laboratory conditions. Moreover, there were no significant differences in mating latency and mating duration between related and unrelated couples. Additionally, the weights of queens and males were measured. The results were evaluated, and B. terrestris queens and males were not affected by kinship in the selection of mates during the mating phase.