In the wasp Bracon hebetor a form of parthenogenesis the dev

In the wasp Bracon hebetor, a form of parthenogenesis (the development of unfertilized eggs into progeny) resulting in haploid organisms is not uncommon. All haploids are males. When offspring arise from fertilization, females almost invariably result. P. W. Whiting has shown that an X-linked gene with nine multiple alleles (X_a, X_b, etc.) controls sex determination. Any homozygous or hemizygous condition results in males, and any heterozygous condition results in females. If an X_a /X_b female mates with an X_a male and lays 50 percent fertilized and 50 percent unfertilized eggs, what proportion of male and female offspring will result?

Overall, 50% of the offspring would be male, while 50% would be female.

Please explain! :)

Solution

There is haplodiploid sex determination; males are haploid and females are diploid; males develop parthenogenetically from unfertilised eggs and females from fertilised eggs. Any homozygous or hemizygous condition results in males, and any heterozygous condition results in females.

for sample we will assume 100 eggs. As an Xa /Xb female mates with an Xa male and lays 50 percent fertilized and 50 percent unfertilized eggs, - unfertilized eggs develop into hemizygous males (50 out of 100).

Out of 50 fertilized egss, 25 will Xa/Xa (homozygous male) and 25 Xb/Xa (hetrozygous female)

So corect answer is Overall, 75% of the offspring would be male, while 25% would be female.