Reproduction and Brood Development - How are different kinds of bees created?

Summary

Bees' creation involves a complex process where queen bees lay diploid or haploid eggs, determining the sex and role of the offspring. Drones mate with the queen to fertilize eggs, resulting in female bees. Larvae fed worker jelly become workers, while queen jelly results in queens. The queen's spermatheca stores sperm for egg fertilization, and the caste of a bee is influenced by diet and hormones, with a 21-day development cycle from egg to adult.

Takeaways

• 🐝 Queen bees have a specialized reproductive system that allows them to lay diploid or haploid eggs.
• 🍯 Worker bees play a crucial role in determining the caste of the bee by feeding them either worker jelly or queen jelly.
• 🌞 Drones gather at a specific location for the queen to mate, aiming to minimize inbreeding.
• 🐝 The queen bee stores sperm in a spermatheca, which she uses to fertilize eggs throughout the season.
• 🌟 Honeybee sex determination is based on fertilization status, with fertilized eggs becoming females and unfertilized eggs becoming males.
• 👑 A diploid egg can develop into either a worker bee or a queen bee, depending on the type of jelly it is fed.
• 🏰 Worker bees make the decision to create a new queen when the hive needs to swarm and establish a new colony.
• 🕒 It takes approximately 21 days for an egg to develop into an adult bee, including stages of larval growth and pupation.
• 🍲 The larvae's diet is closely monitored by worker bees, who provide food every 15 minutes and adjust the quantity based on the larvae's needs.
• 🧠 The corpus allatum in the bee's head acts as a primitive brain, controlling growth through the release of juvenile hormones.

Q & A

How does the queen bee's reproductive system allow her to make choices about the type of eggs she lays?

The queen bee's specialized reproductive system enables her to decide whether to lay diploid or haploid eggs. She can choose to release sperm from her spermatheca to fertilize an egg, resulting in a female (diploid), or not release sperm, resulting in a male (haploid).

What role do worker bees play in determining the caste of a bee?

Worker bees are responsible for feeding the larvae. They decide whether to feed a larva worker jelly or queen jelly, which determines whether the bee will develop into a worker or a queen.

Why do drones gather at a specific location in the sky, and how does the queen bee mate?

Drones gather at a specific location, typically 60 to 70 feet high, to mate with the queen bee. The queen will mate with 15 to 25 different drones to minimize inbreeding and gather a large quantity of sperm for later use.

How does the queen bee store sperm for future use?

Queen bees have a spermatheca on their side where they store thousands of sperm for later use when they lay fertilized eggs.

What is the significance of the number of eggs a queen bee lays in spring and summer?

The queen bee lays about 2,000 eggs during spring and summer, which is significant for the growth and population of the hive.

How is the sex of a honeybee determined?

In honeybees, sex is determined by the fertilization or non-fertilization of eggs. Unfertilized eggs become males (drones), while fertilized eggs become females.

What is the difference between a haploid and a diploid egg in bees?

A haploid egg is an unfertilized egg that develops into a male (drone) and contains only one set of chromosomes. A diploid egg is a fertilized egg that can develop into either a worker or a queen bee and contains two sets of chromosomes.

How do worker bees decide to create a new queen?

Worker bees decide to create a new queen when their hive has too many workers and they need to swarm to a new hive. They feed a larva queen jelly, which is richer in nutrients than worker jelly.

What is the developmental process of a bee from egg to adult?

An egg hatches into a larva after about three days, the larva grows and feeds for five days, and then it becomes a pupae for 13 days. The entire process from egg to adult takes about 21 days.

How do worker bees ensure the larvae receive enough food during their development?

Worker bees check on the larvae every 15 minutes to see if they need more food. They produce an excess of jelly and feed it directly onto the larvae's head.

What are the main structures in the head of a bee larva that contribute to its growth?

The corpus allatum in the head of a bee larva acts as a primitive brain, sending out juvenile hormones into the bloodstream, which cause growth.