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Heritability of the number of ovarioles in honey bee workers (Apis mellifera L.) (HYM.: APIDAE)

José Alexandre Felizola Diniz-Filho; Odair Correa Bueno; José Chaud-Netto; Osmar Malaspina

Departamento de Biologia, IBRC, UNESP, Rio Claro, Caixa Postal 199, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, Brasil. Send correspondence to J.A.F.D.F.

ABSTRACT

Narrow and broad sense heritabilities (h²) of the number of ovarioles in Apis mellifera L. workers were estimated using two distinct data sets, based on groups of half (queens inseminated by several drones) and super-sisters (single drone insemination). The values found are in the usual range for economically important characters (0.25 - 0.38).

Keywords: heritability; ovarioles; honey bee workers; Apis mellifera L.

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