>>>'usefulness' of a patriline will vary from month to month
>For this reason I wonder if the colonies vary the patriline composition
>seasonally...  I do see bee coloration varying somewhat through the
>seasons.  This would be a very sophisticated adaptation to changing needs
>if it were true.

It seems a stretch that queens could select sperm based on a
seasonally-important trait.  However, behavior and gene expression in adult
bees are affected by environmental factors which include the behaviors and
mix of bees from other patrilines in the hive (in addition to the obvious
temperature, food and daylight factors).  How fast a bee advances in
maturity, and which tasks it performs and for how long, are known to be
affected by hive population distribution across maturities and tasks.  It
seems probable that patrilines respond differently to these stimuli so some
patrilines will tend to appear in higher concentrations in some task groups
than others.

Regarding seasonal color changes, I can think of several ways this could
happen: bees' pigment production could be affected by environmental stimuli,
long days could bleach field bee coloring, a higher ratio of house bees to
field bees combined with sun bleaching could make the overall colony appear
darker, sun angle when the beekeeper is looking in the hive, or coincidence.

Most of my experience is with Carniolan-type bees.  My working hypothesis is
that they vary the ratio of house to field bees dramatically throughout the
year and this accounts for their reputation for increasing population very
rapidly in the spring.

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