Whichof the following statements are true with reference to the sex-determination in honeybees ?

A. An offspring formed from the union of a sperm and an egg, develops as a female (queen or worker).
B. An unfertilized egg develops as a male by parthenogenesis.
C. A male has half the number of chromosomes than that of a female.
D. Males produce sperms by meiosis.
E. Honeybees have a haplodiploid sex-determination system.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below :

Sex‑determination in honeybees follows a haplodiploid system, which yields the following facts:

Statement A: “An offspring formed from the union of a sperm and an egg develops as a female (queen or worker).”
In honeybees, fertilized (diploid) eggs develop into females – either queens or workers depending on nutrition. Hence statement A is true.

Statement B: “An unfertilized egg develops as a male by parthenogenesis.”
Unfertilized (haploid) eggs develop into males (drones) without any fertilization. This is parthenogenesis, so statement B is true.

Statement C: “A male has half the number of chromosomes than that of a female.”
Because males are haploid (one set of chromosomes) and females are diploid (two sets), males possess exactly half the chromosome complement of females. Therefore statement C is true.

Statement D: “Males produce sperms by meiosis.”
Male honeybees are haploid; they produce sperm directly by mitosis, not by meiosis. Consequently statement D is false.

Statement E: “Honeybees have a haplodiploid sex‑determination system.”
The combination of fertilized diploid females and unfertilized haploid males defines a haplodiploid system. Thus statement E is true.

Summarizing, the true statements are A, B, C and E only, matching the provided correct option.