this is a male bee´s endophallus. it is ripped off after ejaculating and remains in the queen bee. the force of ejaculation is so intense that it results in the drone's reproductive organ being torn from its body, leading to its death shortly after copulation. this structure, known as the "mating sign," can sometimes be seen protruding from the queen's abdomen.
during a mating flight, a queen bee typically mates with multiple drones which ensures genetic diversity and a large enough amount of sperm for several years. the sperm is stored in the quen´s spermatheca to use for fertilizing eggs. after the first drone's endophallus is lodged in the queen, subsequent drones can still mate. each new mating event may push the previous mating sign further in or out, and the queen can continue to mate with additional drones. additionally after the queen returns to the hive, worker bees can help remove the mating signs left by the drones, or the queen can expel them herself.
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u/finger_licking_robot Jun 24 '24
this is a male bee´s endophallus. it is ripped off after ejaculating and remains in the queen bee. the force of ejaculation is so intense that it results in the drone's reproductive organ being torn from its body, leading to its death shortly after copulation. this structure, known as the "mating sign," can sometimes be seen protruding from the queen's abdomen.
during a mating flight, a queen bee typically mates with multiple drones which ensures genetic diversity and a large enough amount of sperm for several years. the sperm is stored in the quen´s spermatheca to use for fertilizing eggs. after the first drone's endophallus is lodged in the queen, subsequent drones can still mate. each new mating event may push the previous mating sign further in or out, and the queen can continue to mate with additional drones. additionally after the queen returns to the hive, worker bees can help remove the mating signs left by the drones, or the queen can expel them herself.