INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION AND SIBLING MATING EFFECTS ON SPERMATOZOA MIGRATION IN AFRICANIZED HONEY-BEE QUEENS

The number of spermatozoa in the spermathecae of naturally mated and of instrumentally inseminated (with 1 mm(3) or 5 min of semen from non-sibling or sibling drones) ho!ley bee queens was compared. The number of spermatozoa in the spermathecae increased with semen volume. Queens instrumentally inseminated with 1 mm(3) of semen had an average of 0.71 x 10(6) +/- 0.37 x 10(6) spermatozoa in the spermatheca, and when 5 mm(3) of semen was used they had 2.35 x 10(6) +/- 0.59 x 10(6) spermatozoa. Naturally mated queens had the greatest number of spermatozoa in the spermatheca ((x) over bar = 6.54 x 10(6) +/- 0.95 x 10(6)). No difference was detected in queens that received semen from non-sibling vs. sibling drones. Spermathecal diameter of dissected queens varied from 1.2 to 1.5 mm, but the differences were not significant. No significant correlation between spermathecal diameter and the number of spermatozoa it contained was found.