What Is The Parthenogenesis In Animals?
The eggs of many species can be stimulated to cleave and develop without fertilization. The development of an unfertilized egg into an adult is known as parthenogenesis (virgin birth). It occurs in plant lice and thrips. Aphides have successive generations of parthenogenetic females during the spring and summer. Then, both sexes are produced by parthenogenesis. These mate in ordinary sexual reproduction. The females lay fertilized eggs from which the females hatch the next spring to continue parthenogenesis. It is fertilized by a male just once during the life time in the nuptial flight. The sperm are stored in the seminal receptacle. If sperm are released from the receptacle as the female lays eggs, fertilization occurs and eggs develops into females – queens and workers. If the eggs are not fertilized, they develop into haploid males called drones.
