Fertilization in the honey‐bee. I. The male sexual organs: Their histological structure and physiological functioning

Abstract

Resumen por el autor, George H. Bishop. Universidad de Wisconsin.La fecundaci6n en la abeja.I. Los organos sexuales masculinos, su estructura histologica y f uncionamiento.Los cambios que tienen lugar en la estructura histol6gica del aparato sexual mesodkrmico en el zhngano reci6n salido del huevo, indican que 10s zhnganos jhvenes no pueden fecundar a las reinas a causa del estado no maduro de dichos 6rganos sexuales durante un periodo de nueve dias por lo menos. Los espermatozoides y el mucus permanecen en la vesicula seminal y el reservorio glandular mucoso, respectivamente, hasta el momento de la eyaculaci6n. Los espermatozoides se insertan por sus cabezas en la pared de la vesicula seminal, cuya Area superficial aumenta a causa de la formacihn de surcos y pliegues alternados que se disponen en espiral alrededor de su cavidad. La cavidad del conducto eyaculador ectodhmico, que se forma por invaginacihn del extremo anterior del pene, no se abre en la de la porcihn mcsodkrmica del aparato hasta que su extremo ciego quitinosorevienta a1 pasar 10s fluidos espermitticos. La musculatura de la base de la glindula mucosa e s t j dispuesta de tal modo que su contracci6n bajo la accibn del estiniulo eyaculador separa esta regi6n basal del reservorio mucoso distal, permitiendo el paso de 10s espermatozoides procedentes de la vesicula seminal a trav k s de la base de la glitndula y desde aqui a1 exterior por el conducto eyaculador. Durante la relajacihn que sigue a la primera contraccihn espasm6dica, el mucus sigue a1 esperma, a causa de la presi6n ejereida por la contracci6n abdominal, de tal modo yue obliga a penetrar a todo el esperma en 10s hrgmos femeninos. Despuds se coagula en contact0 con el aire, cuando el pene se desprende del z6ngano. Varios estimulos artificiales causan una eyaculaci6n normal en apariencia, y 10s mas seguros son la inyeccih de un Acido dkbil en el thrax y la decapitacihn durante la huida. La estructuia de 10s Grganos, naturaleza de 10s liquidos, y funcionamiento dcl aparato bajo la influencia de estimulos artificiales indican un papel diferente de 10s espermatozoides y mucus durante In copulacihn.

Morphological and ultrastructural changes in the mucus glands of Apis mellifera drones during pupal development and sexual maturation

“…According to Koeniger (1986), the mucus secretion plays a role in the formation of the mating sign after copulation. Bishop (1920) also mentioned a reduction of the glandular epithelium when the drone approaches sexual maturity. .…”

“…Both glands join at their proximal ends and are situated in the posteroventral part of the abdomen (Bishop, 1920). The secretory cells are arranged as a monolayered epithelium and correspond with class-1 in the classification of Quennedey (1974, 1991).…”

She’s my girl - male accessory gland products and their function in the reproductive biology of social bees

“…After each copulation act, the respective drone leaves a mating sign which is easily removed by the next male. Since the mating sign left by one drone is easily removed by the next drone (Koeniger, 1986), one of the functions attributed to this plug was that it may prevent backflow of semen immediately after mating (Bishop, 1920;Woyciechowski et al, 1994). This is, however, questionable because most of the sperm injected into the oviducts is actively extruded by the queen, and only a small percentage of the mixed sperm from the different matings actually makes it into the spermatheca of an Apis mellifera queen (Ruttner, 1956).…”

“…In Apis mellifera, the mucus glands attain full maturity during the first 9 days after emergence and their secretion changes from a fluid to viscous, slightly alkaline mucus. In sexually mature drones, this mucus immediately coagulates when in contact with air and thus, contributes to the physical stability of the mating sign (Bishop, 1920).…”

Effects of age, season and genetics on semen and sperm production in Apis mellifera drones

“…During mating, semen is transferred from a drone into the genital orifice of a virgin queen on the wing, via the drone's endophallus, which is everted during copulation (Bishop, 1920a;Woyke, 1964). After mating, secretions and parts of the drone reproductive organs remain in the genital tract of the queen and signify a 'mating sign' (Woyke and Ruttner, 1958), which may function to prevent semen from flowing out of the vagina (Bishop, 1920b).…”