No behavioral control over mating frequency in queen honey bees (Apis mellifera L.): implications for the evolution of extreme polyandry

Article Abstract:

Research on honeybee (Apis) species indicates that mating frequency variation among and within species members is likely to be a function of mate density, queen size, male contribution and mating ecology. Future studies should preserve the separation between multiple mating behavior's proximate mechanisms and polyandry's evolutionary mechanisms.

United States, Statistical Data Included, Bee culture, Beekeeping

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Parasites, pathogens, and polyandry in social insects

Article Abstract:

The pathogen-parasite hypothesis for the evolution of polyandry does not appear to be a plausible explanation for polyandry in honey bees. Almost 10 years after it was proposed by P.W. Sherman and colleagues, it still lacks a demonstrated mechanism for maintaining genetic variation for disease resistance as well as for generating differential effects of mating behavior on worker survival. It also lacks generality for explaining the distribution of polyandry among the social insects. These show that the issue of evolution of polyandry in social insects cannot be explained in general.

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Parasites, pathogens, and polyandry in honey bees

Article Abstract:

Any attempt at understanding multiple mating in insect societies should take into account the consequences of the sex-determination mechanism and the effects of pathogens and parasites. The parasite/pathogen hypothesis thus represents a plausible explanation for the evolution of polyandry, particularly for honey bees. Arguments against four main issues regarding its plausibility and generality, including the non-specificity of honey bee disease resistance mechanisms to particular pathogens and parasites and parasite loads of genotypically diverse colonies, are presented.

Behavior

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