Caste differentiation of spermatheca and organs related to sperm use and oviposition in the honeybee, Apis mellifera

• Published in: Apidologie Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 262 - 271
• Main Authors: Gotoh, Ayako, Sasaki, Ken
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Springer Paris 01.02.2021; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Animal biology; Apis mellifera; Bees; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Caste differentiation; Development Biology; Developmental stages; Dimorphism; Elongation; Entomology; Eusociality; Ganglia; Insects; Invertebrate Zoology; Life Sciences; Muscles; Organs; Original Article; Oviduct; Oviposition; Queens; Reproductive organs; Reservoirs; Spermatheca; Vagina; Workers (insect caste); internal reproductive organs; morphogenesis; spermatheca; honeybee; caste differentiation
• ISSN: 0044-8435; 1297-9678
• DOI: 10.1007/s13592-020-00815-9

Striking queen–worker dimorphism associated with each task is a key feature of highly eusocial insects, including Apis mellifera . The present study histologically examined the developmental process of the internal reproductive organs including spermatheca, valve-fold in the vagina, semi-circular muscle surrounding the common oviduct, and abdominal ganglia in honeybee queens and workers. During the pupal stage, queens showed an increased spermathecal reservoir, development of the tracheal network surrounding the spermathecal reservoir, and elongation of the spermathecal gland. Compared with queens, these developmental processes were never observed during the pupal stage in workers. Moreover, development of the valve-fold and semi-circular muscle was aborted, and they became rudimentary at the middle pupal stage in workers. Morphological caste differences in the abdominal ganglia were observed from the prepupal stages, showing that the most posterior ganglion was fused with the anterior ganglia in queens but not in workers.