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Subject:
From:
Dave Cushman <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 17 Nov 2006 15:41:38 +0100
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Hi Peter

 > I think you are referring to the cases of "Anarchy" that were found,

You are correct! I was confusing the two systems, which is remiss of me, 
particularly as I have attended many such lectures.

The guys you quoted (Andrew Barron, Francis Ratnieks & Ben Oldroyd) were 
also involved in the thelytoky discussion that took place at the 3rd 
European Congress on Social Insects held in St. Petersburg, Russia 
22-27 August 2005. I have looked quite thoroughly at the lecture program 
and cannot find the session involved, Anarchy and worker policing were 
also discussed.

The following text came from that conference, but I cannot be certain 
that it was not in the context of Capensis...

*****
Queen replacement based on the eggs of laying workers may arise 
following queen loss during mating or in supersedure but is relatively 
rare. Nonetheless, this thelytokous parthenogenetic trait remains 
entrenched in the gene pool and, given the appropriate colony conditions 
(supersedure or queen loss), is readily expressed in one species. In 
genetic models of this trait the thelytoky gene persists even though 
only a small percentage of colonies produce queens in this way. The gene 
frequency for thelytoky may be remarkably high and exist in a stable, 
polymorphic equilibrium supported by unusually high multiple matings. 
Alternatively, it could be argued that such allelic differences could be 
rapidly selected against unless their effects on the overall phenotype 
were small.
*****

 > I don't know of ONE single credible account of a honey bee worker ever
 > producing an egg that turned into a queen (excluding Cape Bees, of
 > course).

The phenomena has been recorded in Europe, but I can't find the refs, we 
are talking single or double figure numbers, nothing dramatic, which is 
the point that I was originally making... It is so rare that it has 
little influence or impact.


Regards & Best 73s, Dave Cushman, G8MZY
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman or http://www.dave-cushman.net
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