Peter Borst wrote:
>>>The primary function of sexual reproduction is to provide different
genetic material which is recombined to produce new and possibly better
offspring, thus generating new traits which allow species to adapt to the
changing environment; that is, the real world<<<<<

No one would really dispute this. It should be noted here that this is not
the only way variation occurs. The formation of the egg (meiosis) provides
for variation before fertilization occurs. Then too, perhaps we could find a
few words to praise the varroa mite which seems to be very adaptable and
does so with brother/sister matings.

>>>>> For workers to lay unfertilized eggs would be to clone themselves,
producing colonies of bees exactly like themselves, a degenerate condition.
This is what has
been seen in South Africa: the Cape Honey Bee is considered an insidious
parasite.<<<<<

This requires thinking about. It would seem that this "degenerate condition"
exists in the Cape bee and they are out-competing Scutellata. Also, in the
south of South Africa the Cape bee is propagated and beekeepers are making
money from them. (....sure, they are less than ideal). Not everyone
considers them a plague. The problems arose when they tried to do migratory
beekeeping with them; they were moved north to areas where Scutellata Had
been supreme. Bad news for SA beekeeping. Any news on where SA is today? 

Deknow wrote>>>....why would one of these worker layed eggs developing into
a queen via thelytoky be more of a dead end than this explosion of
workers?<<<<<<

I have often thought that since all bees are assumed to come from a common
ancestor that the two approaches are merely on natures test bed as she
watches to see what succeeds. Thelytoky is likely a trait that is inherent
in honeybees but almost bred out. It can be one arrow in the quiver. If
queen mortality continues to climb it would naturally breed itself back in. 


Dick Marron

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