A Study of the Factors Which Govern Mating in the Honey Bee

A Study of the Factors Which Govern Mating in the Honey Bee by George D. Shafer is a technical bulletin published by the Michigan Agricultural College in 1917. The book delves into the structural characters of the reproductive organs of both the queen and drone honey bees with a focus on the relationship of these organs during sexual union. The author presents evidence from observations of mating flights and attempts to control mating or fertilization through confinement or hand methods. The book outlines various recorded attempts to control mating including instances of drones and queens being confined in enclosures for mating as well as artificial fertilization methods such as squeezing sperm-fluid into the queen's vulva. Despite these attempts successful storage of spermatozoa in the queen's seminal receptacles was not achieved. The author discusses the challenges faced in manually evaginating the male organ into the queen's vagina and the importance of proper feeding for drones to produce abundant seminal fluid. Overall the book provides a detailed examination of the mating behaviors and reproductive anatomy of honey bees shedding light on the factors that govern mating in these insects. Through a scientific approach and experimental observations the author seeks to understand the complexities of honey bee mating and the challenges in controlling this natural process. The paragraphs at the end of the book provide detailed illustrations and descriptions of the reproductive organs of drones and queens in a bee colony. The figures and diagrams show the intricate structures of the genitalia including the penis accessory mucus glands vagina and seminal vesicle. The cross-sections and labels help to understand the anatomy and function of these organs in the mating process. The photomicrographs in Plate II show the internal structures of the glands and ducts involved in reproduction. The drawings in Plate III depict the abdomen of a queen and a drone highlighting the copulatory organ and oviduct. The detailed descriptions and images offer valuable insights into the reproductive biology of bees.