Haplodiploidy of Eusocial Insects

Varying the amount of DNA transmitted to offspring is a unique strategy many insects that live in colonies such honeybees and ants employ.  What exactly is haplodiploidy?  Put simply, female insects are given a full diploid set of chromosomes through fertilization while the male counterparts are the result of unfertilized eggs.  Why employ this strategy?  One major benefit is a reduction in the role of sex which is energetically costly for females as well as sisters being more closely related to one another (Breed, 2003).  The schematic below provides a nice overview of the process in honeybees.

Works Cited: 

Breed, M. (2003). HAPLODIPLOIDY. Retrieved September 1, 2015.