The evolution of asexuality in a beneficial insect.

Sexual reproduction is the prevalent mode of reproduction across the animal kingdom. Yet, sex has many costs compared to asexuality making this ubiquity of sex perplexing.

Sex must therefore bring many benefits to explain its evolution and maintenance, however, currently we do not fully understand what these benefits are.

The evolution and maintenance of sexual reproduction has thus been described as "the queen of all problems in evolutionary biology". Another perplexing phenomenon is when sex is lost, and organisms revolve asexuality. If sex has so many benefits that are able to outweigh its large costs, why are some species able to exist without them?

This switch to asexual reproduction has evolved across many different animal groups, including in the parasitic wasp species Lysiphlebus fabarum, the study system of this project.

L. fabarum is an ideal study system as reproductive mode is determined by a single recessive allele enabling us to compare the costs and benefits of asexual and sexual reproduction.

This project will also explore sexual conflict over mating and may be an important factor preventing a full shift to asexuality in this species.

By conducting a range of experiments investigating reproduction in this species, this project will provide a greater understanding of the selective forces shaping the evolution of asexual and sexual reproduction, a topic which has been the centre of debate and intrigue for decades.

Furthermore, L. fabarum is an important parasatoid of several aphid species and can therefore be used as a biological control agent.

This project will also investigate how reproductive mode influences this parasitism and thus provide insights into the effectiveness of L. fabarum as a biological control.