White eyed drone

[ianf]

Has anyone out there come across a drone with white eyes. I did an inspection this morning. There he was in the brood box. Never seen one before. I am thinking it could be a genetic mutation and a one off, or could it be more serious. Of the two hives i have in the area there was only the one white eyed drone, Hope he is still there on the next inspection. The queen in this hive is from last year, and is doing well. Ianf. Isle of Islay.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

It's an easy Google. I know; I don't know the answer and was curious.

 

[pargyle]

Has anyone out there come across a drone with white eyes. I did an inspection this morning. There he was in the brood box. Never seen one before. I am thinking it could be a genetic mutation and a one off, or could it be more serious. Of the two hives i have in the area there was only the one white eyed drone, Hope he is still there on the next inspection. The queen in this hive is from last year, and is doing well. Ianf. Isle of Islay.

Bees have lots of mutations possible - white eyed drones are blind - OK in the hive but if/when they fly they can't see where they are and will generally die and not return to the hive. It's not usually a recurring or frequent problem so nothing much to worry about.

 

[ianf]

Many thanks Pargyle. Ianf.

 

[jd101k2000]

I believe it is a recessive gene. The queen has two sets of genes. Clearly your queen has one red eye gene and one white eye gene. When she lays an unfertilised egg the drone will either get the dominant (red) gene or the recessive (white) gene. In the case of that drone he got the recessive gene.

Most queens will have a pair of red eye genes, so you will not see this in most hives. A queen would only get white eyes if both of her eye-colour genes were for white eyes.

 

[domino]

Call it Master Po.

 

[MuswellMetro]

was it like this one?

 

[ianf]

It looks the same as the one i have. Tried to take a photo but turned out rubbish. Will try again next time i am there. Many thanks Muswell. Ianf.

 

[drstitson]

a single white eyed drone suggests it is a germline mutation rather than somatic - otherwise half the drones HM produces will be white eyed.

presumably unlikely to mate naturally (as blind as per above) so seen only as rare sporadic individuals (unless used for II).

 

[Mattl]

Never seen or heard of that before! wow!

 

[MuswellMetro]

Never seen or heard of that before! wow!

well, i've only every seen one and that's the one in my hand in the photo

 

[eric]

its interbreeding

 

[keith pierce]

Here is a purple eyed one that I came across last year in one of my hives.
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18713