The Cytology of the Honey Bee, Apis mellifica L.

Abstract

The cytology of Apis mellifica L. has been investigated by Petrunkewitsch^1,2, Doncaster^3,4, Mark and Copeland⁵, Meves⁶, Nachtsheim^7,8, and Jegen⁹. Nachtsheim figures the chromosomes as spherical in shape, 16 in number in spermatocytes and ogonia, and redueed to 8 in the ootid. In his interpretation of the cbromosome constitution of the male and female he resorts to a theory of "Sammelchromosomen", in which some chromosomes are said to be "einwertig" and others "doppelwertig". His cytological findings are so exceptional and the results of the workers mentioned above are so anomalous that they are open to criticism (see Sanderson¹⁰). Furthermore, on the basis of Naehtsheim‘s work, a theory that the drone bee is a diploid organism with a haploid germ tissue has been reeently advanced by Whiting¹¹. The problem obviously required reinvestigation and this we have undertaken, using improved modem methods of fixation and of smear technique on abundant materiai.