“…The seminal fluids contain proteins, sugars, and phospholipids, and the accessory secretions are composed of cyclic peptides and fatty acids that create a viscous texture that will serve as mating plugs; these gland products are transferred to the female during copulation, where they protect the sperm and maintain its viability, but also induce physiological and behavioral changes in the female’s body that increase the chances of successful insemination by the male [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ]. In honeybees, studies have demonstrated that larval nutrition plays a central role in determining male reproductive quality, while protein intake during adulthood has no effect on sperm quality [ 6 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. Here, we show the incorporation of dietary nutrients consumed by the adult male in the reproductive glands, suggesting that nutrition during the sexual maturation period should also affect the male’s reproductive quality.…”