Volume 6, Number 4—August 2000
Perspective
Male-Killing Bacteria in Insects: Mechanisms, Incidence, and Implications
Table 2
Factors affecting the prevalence of male-killing bacteria
Increase | Decrease |
---|---|
Decreased rate of inbreeding suffered by female hosts | Inefficiency in vertical transmission |
Increased access to early resources through consumption of dead sibling male hosts | Direct physiologic costs of infection |
Increased access to resources due to reduced competition, following death of sibling male hosts | Local extinction of groups having a high prevalence of male-killers |
Direct physiologic benefits of infection |