The Introduction of Virgin and Mated Queens, Directly and in a Simple Cage

Injection of seminal fluid into the hemocoel of honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) can stimulate post-mating changes

Honey bee queens undergo dramatic behavioral (e.g., reduced sexual receptivity), physiological (e.g., ovary activation, ovulation, and modulation of pheromone production) and transcriptional changes after they complete mating. To elucidate how queen post-mating changes are influenced by seminal fluid, the non-spermatozoa-containing component of semen, we injected queens with semen or seminal fluid alone. We assessed queen sexual receptivity (as measured by likelihood to take mating flights), ovary activation, worker retinue response (which is influenced by queen pheromone production), and transcriptional changes in queen abdominal fat body and brain tissues. Injection with either seminal fluid or semen resulted in decreased sexual receptivity, increased attractiveness of queens to workers, and altered expression of several genes that are also regulated by natural mating in queens. The post-mating and transcriptional changes of queens receiving seminal fluid were not significantly different from queens injected with semen, suggesting that components in seminal fluid, such as seminal fluid proteins, are largely responsible for stimulating post-mating changes in queens.

Putative Drone Copulation Factors Regulating Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Queen Reproduction and Health: A Review

Honey bees are major pollinators of agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes. In recent years, honey bee colonies have exhibited high annual losses and commercial beekeepers frequently report poor queen quality and queen failure as the primary causes. Honey bee colonies are highly vulnerable to compromised queen fertility, as each hive is headed by one reproductive queen. Queens mate with multiple drones (male bees) during a single mating period early in life in which they obtain enough spermatozoa to fertilize their eggs for the rest of their reproductive life span. The process of mating initiates numerous behavioral, physiological, and molecular changes that shape the fertility of the queen and her influence on the colony. For example, receipt of drone semen can modulate queen ovary activation, pheromone production, and subsequent worker retinue behavior. In addition, seminal fluid is a major component of semen that is primarily derived from drone accessory glands. It also contains a complex mixture of proteins such as proteases, antioxidants, and antimicrobial proteins. Seminal fluid proteins are essential for inducing post-mating changes in other insects such as Drosophila and thus they may also impact honey bee queen fertility and health. However, the specific molecules in semen and seminal fluid that initiate post-mating changes in queens are still unidentified. Herein, we summarize the mating biology of honey bees, the changes queens undergo during and after copulation, and the role of drone semen and seminal fluid in post-mating changes in queens. We then review the effects of seminal fluid proteins in insect reproduction and potential roles for honey bee drone seminal fluid proteins in queen reproduction and health. We finish by proposing future avenues of research. Further elucidating the role of drone fertility in queen reproductive health may contribute towards reducing colony losses and advancing honey bee stock development.

Ocorrência e morfometria de glândulas tegumentares abdominais em Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Apis mellifera L. apresenta três diferentes tipos de glândulas abdominais: (i) glândulas tergais unicelulares, representadas por: a) glândulas de Koschenikow, situadas no VIII tergo abdominal de operárias e rainhas: b) glândulas de Nassanoff ou glândulas de cheiro, localizadas no VII tergo das operárias: c) glândulas de Renner e Baumann, localizadas nos tergos III, IV e V das rainhas; (ii) glândulas epiteliais, representadas pelas glândulas de cera das abelhas operárias; (iii) glândulas associadas ao ferrão: a) ácidas; b) básicas, ocorrendo em ambas as castas. O estudo do ciclo de desenvolvimento das glândulas abdominais foi realizado por meio de técnicas morfométricas, que consistiram em medidas diretas das células e dos diâmetros de seus núcleos e cálculo posterior de suas respectivas áreas. A ocorrência e a morfometria mostraram correlações entre o ciclo de desenvolvimento e a função das glândulas e o comportamento das abelhas.