Experimentally induced variation in the physical reproductive potential and mating success in honey bee queens

• Published in: Insectes sociaux Vol. 58; no. 4; pp. 569 - 574
• Main Authors: Tarpy, D. R, Keller, J. J, Caren, J. R, Delaney, D. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Springer-Verlag 2011; SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel; Birkhäuser
• Subjects: Animal productions; Apiculture; Apis mellifera; Apoidea; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; body size; caste determination; Entomology; environmental factors; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genetic variation; honey bee colonies; Insecta; Invertebrates; larvae; Life Sciences; males; queen honey bees; reproduction; Research Article; social insects; spermatozoa; Terrestrial animal productions; Honey bees; Queen reproductive quality; Mating behavior; Insecta; Variability; Sexual behavior; Apidae; Social insect; Experimental study; Apis mellifera; Queen insect; Apoidea; Arthropoda; Breeding success; Hymenoptera; Invertebrata; Reproductive potential; Aculeata
• ISSN: 0020-1812; 1420-9098
• DOI: 10.1007/s00040-011-0180-z

In honeybee colonies, reproduction is monopolized by the queen while her daughter workers are facultatively sterile. Caste determination is a consequence of environmental conditions during development, during which female larvae may become either queens or workers depending on their larval diet. This bipotency introduces significant variation in the reproductive potential of queen bees, with queens raised from young worker larvae exhibiting high reproductive potential and queens raised from older worker larvae exhibiting lower reproductive potential. We verify that low-quality queens are indeed produced from older worker larvae, as measured morphometrically (e.g., body size) and by stored sperm counts. We also show, for the first time, that low-quality queens mate with significantly fewer males, which significantly influences the resultant intracolony genetic diversity of the worker force of their future colonies. These results demonstrate a reproductive continuum of honeybee queens and provide insights into the reproductive constraints of social insects.