> Previous experimental studies demonstrated that small drones (SD) had lower paternity share since they were not successful in mating with queens as large drones (LD) in the mating arena. However, it remains unclear whether spermatozoa of SD can compete in vivo with those of LD if SD have mating opportunity. 

> We, therefore, tested the spermatozoal competitiveness of SD against LD by instrumentally inseminating the queens with varying proportions of semen from LD and SD. ...  The results demonstrated that SD remained a little behind LD in sperm competition.

Sperm competition in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.): the role of body size dimorphism in drones
H. Vasfi Gençer & Yasin Kahya 
Apidologie volume 51, pages1–17(2020)Cite this article

So, are you saying in the unlikely event one of these little drones gets to the target, their sperm are probably too little also? Hmm. Is this a matter of little significance?

PLB

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