Ted Hancock wrote:

>   Can anyone tell me exactly how a spermatheca works? Specifically what
> mechanism is used to deliver spermatozoa to the egg? Are several (dozen?
> thousand?) squirted on to the egg or is only one spermatozoan released per
> egg? If it's more than one, how are the extra done away with when an
> unfertilized egg is laid? After eight years of swimming around in a
> spermatheca, do the spermatozoa become any less viable?

    FINALLY, a subject I have actually worked on. The spermatheca seems to
store the sperm in a quiescent state - the outer covering of tracheoles, once
thought to supply oxygen, was proved by H.K. Poole (and me) to be only a
support structure over an impermeable sphere. The sperm are released (by the
sperm pump, a small hook-shaped structure on the side of the sptha.) in small
groups to fertilize the eggs - I don't know how quickly it can be turned off,
but I suspect there is some overlap ( a few fertilized eggs in drone cells,
and vice-versa).  See the publications of Taber (1950s-1970s), Poole (late
1960s-early 1970s), the Koenigers from Germany, possibly Woyke of Poland.
    As for eight-year-old sperm and queens, I believe that would be a little
optimistic. Two years is do-able, three is pushing it.