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what would a queen bee be called if queens never existed? (lemm.ee)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

like what if the first person to coin the phrase, for the one bee that lays around just producing offspring, lived in a world that had no monarchies? or, were radically opposed to the concept.

also what do you think we would name them today if we just found them?

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Mother bee, since it's the only one laying eggs.

[–] BillibusMaximus 17 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Interesting bee fact -

In a hive that has been queenless for a period of time (long enough that there's no way they can raise a replacement queen), one or more workers may develop the ability to lay unfertilized eggs.

Due to how honeybee genetics work, those unfertilized eggs can hatch into drones (males), which may then have the opportunity to mate with queens from nearby colonies.

I guess this is sort of a last ditch effort to propagate the hive's genetic material before it fizzles out and dies. Which I think is fascinating.