Which of the following statements are correct ? In honey bees 1. Ma

Which of the following statements are correct ?
In honey bees

  • 1. Males are haploid.
  • 2. Workers are sterile and diploid.
  • 3. Queen develops from diploid larvae that fed on royal jelly.
  • 4. Honey is collected/made by males.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1, 2, 3 and 4
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3 only
1 and 4 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2016
The correct option is C.
Let’s evaluate each statement:
1. Males (drones) develop from unfertilized eggs and are haploid (have half the number of chromosomes). This statement is correct.
2. Workers are sterile female bees that develop from fertilized eggs and are diploid (have the full set of chromosomes). This statement is correct.
3. The queen bee is a fertile female that also develops from a fertilized egg (a diploid larva). Her development into a queen is determined by being fed royal jelly exclusively throughout her larval stage. This statement is correct.
4. Honey is made by female worker bees from nectar collected from flowers. Male drones do not participate in foraging or honey production. This statement is incorrect.
Based on the evaluation, statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct.
The sex determination system in honey bees is haplodiploidy. Males are haploid, and females (workers and queens) are diploid. The destiny of a diploid larva to become a worker or a queen is determined by diet; larvae fed royal jelly exclusively become queens, while those fed a mix of pollen and nectar become workers.