Abstract
Gynandromorphy is an anomaly that results in an organism phenotypically expressing both male and female characteristics. Here we describe the first gynandromorph of the bee species Megalopta amoena (Spinola, 1853) (Halictidae, Augochlorini) and the second record of this anomaly within the genus Megalopta. Additionally, we analyzed the bee’s circadian rhythm, which has never before been quantified for a gynandromorph. The gynandromorph showed a deviant activity pattern; it was intermediate between that of the male and female M. amoena. Our results imply that the brains of bilateral gynandromorphs may have mixed sex-specific signaling. Based on four days of recording, the gynandromorph circadian rhythm was shifted earlier in the day relative to the male and female M. amoena, and it exhibited intensity similar to the female.
Highlights
Gynandromorphy is a rare occurrence in which an organism presents both male and female phenotypes (Wcislo et al 2004a)
We report the first gynandromorph discovered in the bee species Megalopta amoena (Halictidae, Augochlorini); only one has been previously reported from the genus Megalopta (M. genalis Meade-Waldo, 1916; Wcislo et al 2004a)
The gynandromorph of M. amoena reported here and that of M. genalis (Wcislo et al 2004a), are the only two discovered for the genus, which occurs throughout the neotropics (Engel 2006, Santos and Melo 2015)
Summary
Gynandromorphy is a rare occurrence in which an organism presents both male and female phenotypes (Wcislo et al 2004a). The few previous studies of live gynandromorphs have reported data on nesting behavior (Michez et al 2009), courtship (Michez et al 2009, Sampson et al 2010, Matsuo et al 2018), and gene expression (Ugajin et al 2016, Matsuo et al 2018). This is the first report of circadian activity monitoring in a gynandromorph
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