Abstract
Mating frequencies in two related honeybee subspecies Apis mellifera monticola and A. m. scutellata were compared using a set of five microsatellite loci in order to discriminate among the major factors which have affected the evolution of extreme polyandry. We found that the queens of eight A.m. monticola colonies collected from an apiary in Malawi, mated 5-19 times producing an average relatedness among workers of 0.328 ± 0.049. The six A.m. scutellata colonies collected from an apiary in South Africa displayed a significantly larger degree of polyandry, i.e. queens mated 10-25 times and the genetic relatedness among nestmates was 0.283 ± 0.020. The difference in the degree of polyandry observed between the populations suggests that socially based selective pressures are not of primary importance in the evolution of extreme polyandry but that ecological selective pressures play a more significant role. However, exploring the relative contributions of these factors to the variation in levels of polyandry will require the use of colonies in which the level of polyandry is experimentally controlled.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
