Additive and heterotic genetic effects in the haplo-diploid honeybee apis mellifera

Abstract

Nine lines of honeybees were used to form a 9 × 9 partial diallel cross. Hamuli number was determined for samples of worker offspring. One set of workers was reared in non-maternal colonies which had been made uniform, as far as possible, with respect to colony strength (number of workers), while another set was sampled directly from the combs of each maternal colony. Combining ability analysis of variance revealed significant additive and non-additive genetic effects for both sets of data, regardless of whether inbred parentals were included or excluded from the analysis. Uniform rearing removed average heterosis and reciprocal effects. The results demonstrate that there was both additive and, somewhat surprisingly, non-additive genetic variation in this haplo-diploid species, among the lines studied. A complex interaction between colony strength and hamuli number was evident from the fact that average heterosis was eliminated by uniform rearing, which removed the effect of variation in colony strength between inbred and hybrid colonies. © 1987 ASEG.