What Ecological Factors Favor Parthenogenesis over Sexual Reproduction? A Study on the Facultatively Parthenogenetic Mayfly in Natural Populations.

AbstractDifferent reproductive modes are characterized by costs and benefits that depend on ecological contexts. For example, sex can provide benefits under complex biotic interactions, while its costs increase under mate limitation. Furthermore, ecological contexts often vary along abiotic gradients.

Extremely Widespread Parthenogenesis and a Trade-Off Between Alternative Forms of Reproduction in Mayflies (Ephemeroptera).

Studying alternative forms of reproduction in natural populations is of fundamental importance for understanding the costs and benefits of sex. Mayflies are one of the few animal groups where sexual reproduction co-occurs with different types of parthenogenesis, providing ideal conditions for identifying benefits of sex in natural populations. Here, we establish a catalog of all known mayfly species capable of reproducing by parthenogenesis, as well as species unable to do so.