Question by The Original Magic 8 Ball BILF:
Is it possible for insects to inbreed?
The Y/A blog on bedbugs got me to thinking about inscet infestations and how many times it only takes one female to have babies and then you are on your way to an infestation. So the insect brothers and sisters are having babies together. Are insects just so genetically basic that it doesn’t matter?
Thanks in advance for your answers to this off the wall question!
Best answer:
Answer by Belvoir Phoenix
It’s possible for humans to do that, too.
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I’m afraid I don’t know, but interesting question
Inheritance of genes from parent to offspring is somewhat random. If a specimen has only two offspring then (unless a miracle occures) some genes will have been lost to this population. If these two offspring then reproduce and bear two offspring in turn then likely more genes will be lost and so on from one generation to the next until little to no diversity exists. This is called “genetic drift.” In many instances this spells extinction.
Insects have an escape route from this dilemma: numbers. One female can produce hundreds or even thousands of offspring. This helps to preserve genetic diversity by giving each gene hundreds of opportunities to be drawn on a random basis. The larger the sample, the greater the likelihood of any gene making it into the genepool. Occassionally, there may be losses of genes but these are likely offset by the random mutations that will also occur more frequently in large populations with high reproductive rates.
yes because they are such odd/coll insects yes some pepole will to. and they will make many off spring that they do not know there mate is there sibling