Super and half-sister discrimination by honey bee workers (Apis melffira L.) in a trophallactic bioassay

Kin recognition and nepotism betwecn honcybee workers (Api.s metliferu L.) was analysed in a trophallactic bio-assay. Donor workers were fed dyed sugar syrup and introduced into a recipient group consisting of 1 2 to 1 5 workers of the same colony. After allowing for t hour of trophallaxii, the distribution of the dyed food was analysed with spectrophotometry. The subfamily composition in the recipient group was varied such that the donor bees had to discriminate between workers of 2 to'.' different patrilines. Donor bees preferentially led super sisters if few patrilines were present in the recipient group. However, preferential feeding was not observed if the recipient group consisted of workers ofmore than three subfamil ies. Since the natural degree ofpolyandry causes intracolonial genetic variance to exceed the genetic variability in the experiments. nepotistic behaviour among workers may not reveal intranidal subfamily recognit ion in honevbees.