Inheritance of traits associated with reproductive potential in Apis mellifera capensis and Apis mellifera scutellata workers
Jordan, L.A.; Allsopp, M.H.; Beekman, M.; Wossler, T.C.; Oldroyd, B.P.
Journal of Heredity 99(4): 376-381
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1503 PMID: 18477592 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esn023
Accession: 031941403
When workers of the thelytokous Cape honeybee, Apis mellifera capensis, come into contact with colonies of the neighboring arrhenotokous subspecies Apis mellifera scutellata, they can become lethal social parasites. We examined the inheritance of 3 traits (number of ovarioles, number of basitarsal hairs, and size of spermatheca) that are thought to be associated with reproductive potential in A. m. capensis workers.