Male honey bees, called drones, have one of the most extreme reproductive strategies in the animal kingdom.
A drone's entire purpose is to mate with a queen, and if he succeeds, it will be the only mating event of his life.
During mating, the drone transfers sperm to the queen while flying high in the air. The process happens very quickly, often in just a few seconds.
As ejaculation occurs, the pressure inside the drone's reproductive organs becomes so intense that part of his endophallus, the bee equivalent of a penis, is ripped from his body and left attached to the queen.
The injury is catastrophic.
The drone's abdomen tears open, causing massive internal damage, and he dies shortly afterward. Scientists sometimes describe this as an explosive eversion of the reproductive organ.
While it sounds wasteful, the strategy evolved because queens usually mate with many males during a single mating flight.
Leaving part of the reproductive organ behind may help ensure that the drone's sperm is successfully transferred before rivals get their chance.
Most drones never mate at all. They spend their lives being fed by worker bees and are eventually expelled from the hive when resources become scarce.
Author: Sayak Bhattacharya
