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Physogastric-Queen mating in Melipona quadnfasciata lep. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Lucio Antonio de Oliveira Campos; Gabriel Augusto Rodrigues de Melo

Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570 Viçosa, MG, Brasil

ABSTRACT

The influence of the number of matings on the survival of physogastric queens after they have copulated was investigated. Five physogastric queens of Melipona quadrifasciata were put to copulate with one drone each and two queens with four drones each. It took one to three days for single-mated queens to get rid of the male genitalia and restart oviposition. The multiple mated queens were found dead within their nests on the third day after matings. Some of the male genitalia remained attached to these queens. The death of multiple mated queens appears to be caused by the perforation of the genital chamber wall by male genitalia valves. Two of the one-male matings mentioned above were carried out using genetically marked queens and drones. Subsequent analysis of progenies have shown that spermatozoa had entered the physogastric-queen spermatheca and mixed with those already present there. The attractiveness of physogastric queens to males in the absence of light was also demonstrated.
Reproductive pheromones appear to be important to the colony life of stingless bees, because the queens continue producing at least some of them even after mating. Tergal glands are suggested as a possible source of the pheromones involved in physogastric-queen attractiveness to the males.

Keywords: Physogastric-queen; Mating; Melipona quadrifasciata; Hymenoptera.

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