Rearing Diploid Drone Larvae in Queen Cells in a Colony

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Abstract
Investigations were made on 586 larvae of high and low survival rates; 363 of the latter were hatched in an incubator and transferred on royal jelly in queen cells in several rearing colonies. Of these, 55% reached the age of 5 days, giving 55% females and 45% diploid males. The efficiency of rearing young larvae was raised after it was found that the workers would rear several female larvae in one queen cell for several days; this was also possible with diploid drone larvae. Although no adult diploid drones were obtained, for the first time many diploid drone larvae were reared in colonies, at least to the time of sealing. The fact that the larvae are on royal jelly in queen cells prevents their being eaten, and this suggests that some special substance governs the eating phenomenon. The results obtained make it possible to develop a method of rearing imago diploid drones in the colony.