Summary
In most Hymenoptera species the queen mates once but in a small number of species, multiple matings can occur normally. So, in this study, physogastric M. quadrifasciata queens were mated with a second male to investigate how these queens, naturally inseminated and laying eggs, use spermatozoa stored in their spermatheca, when they are mated with a second male. Results demonstrate that spermatozoa of different males mix in the spermatheca of M. quadrifasciata queens and that there is a gradual increase in the utilisation of spermatozoa of the second male, which could be explained by a competition among spermatozoa of different drones over the way in which spermatozoa are stored in the spermatheca.
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Lopes, D.M., Tavares, M.G. & Campos, L.A.O. Sperm utilisation by Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera, Apidae) queens subjected to multiple mating. Insectes Soc. 50, 387–389 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-003-0694-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-003-0694-0