Sperm Utilization by Honey Bee Queens; DNA Fingerprinting Analysis

Abstract

To determine how the spermatozoa derived from different males are used for fertilization by the multiply mated queens, the observations on their oviposition behavior and the paternity determination of their offspring by DNA fingerprinting were carried out. It was shown that sperm from different males is used unpreferentially, resulting in the co-existence of workers fathered bydifferent males, with low average Relatedness in theColony. © 1995, JAPANESE SOCIETY OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY. All rights reserved.