In order for the drone to be the one who passes
> it on the gene would have to be located on the Y chromosome.  Females do
> not have a  Y chromosome.  That would make all females mean, I think.

Indeed there is no evidence for any sex chromosomes in Hymenoptera.
that is sex specific *nuclear* DNA inheritance. Males simply contain
one set (haploid) of the mothers double (diploid) nuclear DNA
compliment. That is not to say that sons are all comprised of only
two clones, because recombination will shuffle the alleles around.

 There are ways for a trait to be sex
linked but it is not very common.
Yup, the most likley ways are by sex specific imprinting (so both
sexes inherit the maternal and paternal derived copy of the gene
but only one is active, the other is silenced) and sex specific gene
expression, although these are not mutualy exclusive of course.. The
former is yet to be established, although it certainly offers a good
and well supported model for sex determination in some hymenoptera
species, the later is of course known.
Rob
Robert Butcher,
Evolutionary and Ecological Entomology Unit,
Department of Biological Sciences,
Dundee University,
Dundee, DD1 4HN,
Tayside, Scotland,
UK.
Work Phone:- 01382-344291 (Office), 01382-344756 (Lab).
Fax:- 01382-344864
e-mail:- [log in to unmask]