Genetics of arrhenotokous and thelytokous reproduction in Venturia canescens (Hymenoptera)

Much is known about the ecological and behavioural interactions between thelytokous and arrhenotokous Venturia canescens. Still, there are many open questions concerning the underlying mechanisms and genetics behind the reproductive modes: what triggers diploidisation of thelytokous eggs in absence of endosymbionts? How genetically variable are thelytokous individuals and populations? Is there gene flow between the two reproductive modes in the field? The main goal of this thesis is to elucidate the genetic basis of thelytoky in V. canescens to better understand the evolution and persistence of asexual reproduction. We repeat a population genetics analysis to establish the robustness of previous studies and to determine to which degree arrhenotokous and thelytokous wasps are related to each other. In addition, we try to explain at the molecular level the cytological differences between both reproductive modes.