Influence of Different Statuses of Honey Bee Queens, Apis mellifera L. on the Ultrastructure of the Flagella on (3-Day Old) Workers

ABSTRACT

The effect of different statuses of honeybee queens, Apis mellifera (one-year-old mated queen; supersedure queen; three-day old virgin queen; queen cell; without queen; and without queen/without bee bread) on many aspects of 3- day old workers were studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This study was carried out to describe the (types, distribution, numbers and measurements) of the different sensilla on the workers’ flagellum. Electrone microscopic study of workers under different queen statuses showed the morphological structure of the antennae (Geniculate antennae). Each antenna composed of scape, a pedicel, and a flagellum of 10 segments. SEM revealed the presence of seven types and eleven subtypes of sensilla on the dorsal side of the different flagellomeres; they were Sensilla Ampullacea {Am}, Sensilla Basiconica {Ba}, Sensilla Campaniformia {Cf}, Sensilla Chaetica I, II {Ch}, Sensilla Coelloconica I, II {Co}, Sensilla Placodea I, II, III {PL}, Sensilla Trichodea I, II, III, IV {Tr}. This study revealed that, there is no significant difference in the numbers of sensilla (Am), (Ba), (Co I) of the workers under all the queen statuses. The measurements of sensilla Chaetica differ significantly according to the different queen statuses. The numbers and distributions of (Co II) were exhibited at extremely low percentages in the different statuses. There is significant difference in the percentages of each (PL I, II, III) between the different queen statuses. Also, the (Tr I, II, III, IV) are found in all statuses, There is significant difference in the percentages of each sensilla types between the different queen statuses.

Keywords:

Apis mellifera L., flagella, honey bee, morphology, queen statuses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), sensory structure.