ESTIMATION OF THE NUMBER OF MATINGS IN APIS-MELLIFERA - EXTENSIONS OFTHE MODEL AND COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT ESTIMATES

The multiple mating behaviour of Apis mellifera queens is an important reproductive characteristic of this species. Estimates of the number of drones that mate with a queen can be obtained through segregation a nalysis of genetic markers in samples of workers from several colonies . Statistical methods have been developed that allow estimation of thi s parameter using segregations of worker genotypes at one locus for wh ich the genotypes of queens are known. Here we present simple modifica tions of previous models that allow estimation of the number of mating s in Apis mellifera from multiple loci and genotypic segregations of w orkers and drones. Estimates of the mean and the variance are obtained by maximum likelihood. A sample consisting of 200 colonies of African ized honeybees from Sao Paulo State, Brazil, gives an estimate of 16.1 matings per queen, very close to the previous estimate (17.2) obtaine d 15 years before with a different gene marker and a different populat ion of Africanized honeybees.