Parthenogenesis in Honey Bees
Types of Bees:
There are three main categories for honey bees. The queen is the center of the hive because she is responsible for laying eggs. She mates once and retains the sperm for the rest of her reproductive life. When the queen lays her eggs, she deposits them in different sized receptacle within the wax matrix. Each sized receptacle codes for a different resulting offspring. The smaller cells, about 5mm in diameter, contain fertilized eggs destined to become sterile female workers. The larger cells, about 7mm in diameter, contain future male drones. These eggs are not fertilized, and reproduce via parthenogenesis. Queen bees are created by an elaborate hormonal sequence initiated within the hive. [7]
