Question

One of the following shows arrhenotoky in its development
(a) Cyana fumea
(b) Drosophila melanogaster
(c) Apis mellifera
(d) Bonellia Viridis

Answer 1

Hint: Development of a male fertile organism from an unfertilized egg by a process called male parthenogenesis. The formed organisms are called drones.

Complete step by step answer:
The development of male or female gametes without fertilization is called parthenogenesis. This is seen mostly in lower plants and invertebrate animals. In the majority of cases, the female gamete is formed by this process but in rare cases, male gametes are formed. If an unfertilized ova develops into haploid males it is called arrhenotoky can be seen in honey bees.
So, the correct answer is ‘Apis mellifera’.

Additional information:
- Apis mellifera is the scientific name for honey bee (European bee)
- In the world of insects, honey bees show colonial living, reciprocal communication, and polymorphism
- Honey bees also show division of labor
- Maintenance of honey bee hives for the production of honey and wax is called apiculture.
- Beekeeping is considered as the age- old cotton industry
- The bee colony consists of queen bees which are fertile females, drone bees are haploid male bees and worker bees are sterile bees.
- One beehive consists of one fertile, diploid female that lays eggs in the colony called queen bee
- Queen bee collects sperms from drones and lays two types of eggs, fertilized and unfertilized eggs.
Fertilized eggs become female bees and initially, they feed on royal jelly for the first three days later only it is fed to the bee which is about to become net queen bee and other bees feed on bread and become sterile worker bees
- Drones are haploid fertile bees which are developed from unfertilized eggs by arrhenotoky.

Note: Arrhenotoky is also called male parthenogenesis. Worker bees live for about 3 months. They help in building a beehive, gather nectar, and store honey. Bee helps in pollination. Pollination by insects is called entomophily.