These ‘mostly useless’ male honeybees lay eggs, produce females

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Mike Wehner

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  • Cape honey bees in South Africa reproduce without sex, and males are even capable of producing female larvas that become queens.
  • Researchers have pinpointed the gene responsible for this incredible reproductive power, and hope to use it against the bees, which frequently drive away other bee species.
  • Going forward, the power to control the ability of an animal species to reproduce without sex could have major implications in many fields.
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Honeybee populations around the world are suffering due to what scientists believe is a mix of factors related to climate change and the widespread use of chemicals and pesticides. It's not a good situation, and we need the insects to do their vital work as pollinators, so we should be doing everything we can to ensure that healthy numbers of honeybees remain.

The Cape honey bees of South Africa have long since taken matters into their own hands by reverting to asexual reproduction. The bees are capable of reproducing without sex, and researchers have long wondered what specific genetic quirk is responsible for this incredible ability. Now they know.

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These ‘mostly useless’ male honeybees lay eggs, produce females originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 8 May 2020 at 21:10:14 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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