"Also, in the Cape Bee, there is the special case of worker eggs 
producing females but that is a long story and not particularly relevant 
to the issue. "

I sometimes wonder just how unique that trait really is.  When I see a 
single queen cell appear in an eggless and queenless colony the only 
explanations I can think of is egg stealing from next door, thelytoky or 
the presence of a tiny queen that is only ever capable of laying a 
single egg.  My bees are mainly Apis mellifera mellifera so I don't know 
if Italians would save themselves in this way.

Steve Rose

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