Data from: Do pheromones contribute to the persistence of asexual populations in a facultatively parthenogenetic stick insect?

<p>Facultative parthenogenesis is a form of reproduction in which females can either lay unfertilised eggs that typically develop into female offspring only, or mate and lay fertilised eggs that develop into male and female offspring. Facultative parthenogens often occur in mixed-sex populations where reproduction is mostly sexual, and all-female populations where reproduction is asexual. How all-female populations avoid invasion by males remains unknown. Here, we investigated the role of volatile and non-volatile (cuticular hydrocarbons, CHCs) pheromones in the persistence of all-female populations in the facultatively parthenogenetic stick insect, <em>Megacrania </em><em>batesii</em>. We found that <em>M. batesii</em> exhibits slight sexual dimorphism in antenna morphology, and behavioural assays provided little evidence that males could locate females solely by volatile pheromones. However, CHC profiles differed substantially between different types of females. Analysis of CHC structure and abundance indicated a clear genetic difference between females from all-female versus mixed-sex populations, as well as a maternal effect of female parthenogenesis versus sexual development. Together, our results suggest that males might rely more on close-range chemical cues to differentiate females, and chemical communication could play a role in the persistence of all-female populations.</p>