Hi Dee & all

 > It means that European honeybees normally on LC Combs vs
 > more natural ferals, or European honeybees on SC combs, or
 > even so-called AHBs have different mating parameters,

The difference in mating preferences appears to be size related and race 
related.

If you look at...
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/sizematingpreference.html

"Drones mating with the smaller OD models had significantly lower
  thorax mass than those mating with the larger OD models"

Would indicate that small queens attract small drones, but (in another 
part of the document) that drones of all sizes are attracted to queens 
with large bore sting chambers.

The end result of this is that small drones will mate with more or less 
any size of queen, whereas larger drones are less likely to mate with 
small queens.

If we have a situation whereby AHB are small and EHB are larger the AHB 
genes should proliferate at the expense of the European bee genes.

The way I read it the AHB will gain in influence as the percentage 
shifts to favour the propagation of genes from small drones (which are 
in the main AHB)

There are other issues about mating preference in cross race matings 
whereby some preference is shown for drones of similar race, but I think 
this feature is also represented more strongly in AHB and so European 
bees seems doomed in the extreme long term to be overwhelmed as the 
process is progressive.


Regards & Best 73s, Dave Cushman, G8MZY
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman or http://www.dave-cushman.net
Short FallBack M/c, Build 6.02/3.1 (stable)

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