[Taxacom] reactivating genes

[Barry OConnor]

This phenomenon, known as "spanandric males," is fairly common among
parthenogenetic (thelytokus) mites. - Barry

On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 7:11 AM, Hans Henderickx <cavexplorer at gmail.com>wrote:

> In 1982 I made some small publications of the accidental occurence of a
> sporadic winged male in a parthenogenetic colony of a wingless Lepidoptera
> (Luffia ferchaultella, Psychidae).
> This species colonies exist in Belgium exclusively parthenogenetic, the
> females pose their eggs immediately after emerging without mating. Very
> occasionally (less than 1/10.000) a single winged male may occur, with no
> function in mating, but showing all the caracteritics of the ancient
> ancestor, a bisexual species with winged males. A same case exists in a
> parthenogenetic colonie of the psychid species Dahlica triquetrella ("the
> male from Aubrig").
> The genes for male wings, large pectinate antenna and genitalia structure
> have been present but deactivated in the female, and can appearantly be
> reactivated through mutation: "Decouverte d'une chrysalide male de Luffia
> au
> sein d'une population de l'espèce parthenogenetique L. ferchaultella., in
> ALEXANOR 12(5): 195-198."
>
> Hans Henderickx
>
>
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-- 
-So many mites, so little time!

Barry M. OConnor
Professor  & Curator
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology/Museum of Zoology

University of Michigan                  phone: 734-763-4354
1109 Geddes Ave.                          fax: 734-763-4080
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079          e-mail: bmoc at umich.edu