Wei et al. show that honeybee queens selectively lay larger eggs in queen cells to be raised by workers as queens. Egg size influences both gene expression and the adult weight of the queen. 

Eggs laid in queen cells (QE), laid in worker cells (WE), and 2-day old larvae from worker cells (2L) were transferred to artificial queen cells to be reared as queens in a standardized environment. Newly emerged adult queens from QE were heavier than those from the other two groups and had more ovarioles, indicating a consequence of egg size for adult queen morphology.

That egg size influences emerging queen morphology and physiology and that queens lay larger eggs in queen cells demonstrate both a maternal effect on the expres- sion of the queen phenotype and a more active role for the queen in gyne production than has been realized previously.

Current Biology 29, 1–6, July 8, 2019 a 2019 Elsevier Ltd. 1

Pete 🐝

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html