Koeniger, et al, write in 2011: ... the function of mating signs was long debated. Much later, video recordings demonstrated that drones (A. mellifera) remove the mating sign by pulling it out with a special hairy field of the endophallus (Koeniger 1986). However, the debate about the purpose (adaptive advantage) of the mating sign -- this "costly" drone product -- is still in progress ... Comparative Reproductive Biology of Honeybees Gudrun Koeniger, Nikolaus Koeniger, and Mananya Phiancharoen *********************************************** 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 Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at: http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm