Mea asked about nepotism in bees. When I was an undergraduate in
university I did my thesis on the role kinship plays in colony
"cooperation" (thermoregulation, brood production, honey production)-
Tom Seeley was my external advisor.

Most studies focused on nepotism in regards to Queen rearing where
presumably bees could show nepotism by being given the chose of rearing
larvae that were related by varying degrees (full-sisters, half-sisters,
non related).

I have several references to studies of this nepotism:

Breed, M.D., H.H.W. Velthuis, and G.E. Robinson. 1984. Annal of the
Entomological Society of America. 77: 737-739.

Carlin, N.F. and P.C. Frumhoff. 1990. Nepotism in the honey bee. Nature.
346:706-707

Getz, W.M. and Smith, K.B. 1983. Nature. 302: 147-148

These studies, for the most part show that even during the important
task of Queen rearing, intra-colony discrimination is shakey at best -
presumeably the result of multiple matings of Queens and the resulting
numerous subfamilies in a colony.

Hope this helps.

Mike Lewis

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