Abstract
IN equatorial Africa, the butterfly Acraea encedon occurs chiefly in disturbed habitats in populations that are ecologically and genetically isolated from each other. Many of these populations are composed mainly of females, with males making up as little as 2 per cent1,2. In other parts of Africa, mainly in relatively dry or undisturbed habitats, the sex ratio is normal. There is no evidence of parthenogenesis2. In at least one population (Lubya, Uganda) the very low frequency of males seems to regulate the size of the population; many females remain unmated and contribute nothing to succeeding generations1,2.
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References
Owen, D. F., and Chanter, D. O., J. Zool., 157, 345 (1969).
Owen, D. F., Heredity, 21, 443 (1966).
Owen, D. F., Nature, 206, 744 (1965).
Hamilton, W. D., Science, 156, 477 (1967).
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OWEN, D. Inheritance of Sex Ratio in the Butterfly Acraea encedon. Nature 225, 662–663 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/225662a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/225662a0
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