Question

In the bees, ants, and wasps (Hymenoptera), female workers are very closely related to their reproducing sisters only if their mother has mated with just one male because:

a. Polyandry is common in Hymenoptera
b. Polygyny is common in Hymenoptera
c. Inbreeding is common in Hymenoptera
d. Monogamy is common in Hymenoptera

Answer 1

In bees, ants, and wasps, female workers are very closely related to their reproducing sisters only if their mother has mated with just one male because polyandry is common in Hymenoptera.

Step-by-step explanation:

In bees, ants, and wasps (Hymenoptera), female workers are very closely related to their reproducing sisters only if their mother has mated with just one male because polyandry is common in Hymenoptera. Polyandry refers to a mating system where a female mates with multiple males, and it is indeed a common reproductive strategy in many species of Hymenoptera. When a queen bee or ant mates with multiple males, the workers in the colony can be closely related to each other, increasing the genetic relatedness within the colony.