Spermatogenesis of diploid males in the formicine ant, Lasius sakagamii

The diploid chromosome number in the female formicine ant, Lasius sakagamii , is 30, while the haploid number in normal males is 15. Six of the 30 stud ied colonies (20%), however, contained many diploid males. Although the bod y size of the diploid males was, on average, larger than that of the haploi d males, both types of males showed normal external and internal morphologi es. Furthermore, there was no reduction in chromosome numbers in either dip loid or haploid males during spermatogenesis. The spermatid nuclei of diplo id males, however, were significantly larger than those of haploid males, a nd the amount of DNA in the diploid males, as measured by flow cytometry, w as twice as much as that in the haploid males, clearly indicating that dipl oid males produce diploid sperm.