title: Effect of mating delay on the ovary of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera: Apidae) queens.
abstract: The effect of mating delay on the ovary structure of virgin queens of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was investigated. Virgin queens 15, 20, 25 and 30 days old were dissected to analyze their degree of ovary degeneration. To verify whether the degeneration would cause permanent sterility, virgin queens of the same ages (15, 20, 25 and 30 days) were mated and accompanied for at least 14 days to verify whether there was physogastry and then dissected. The ovaries were analyzed by histology, histochemical tests and TUNEL to verify programmed cell death. The results showed that mating delay interrupted oogenesis preventing vitellogenesis. Mating delay results in ovary degeneration which increased with queen age. However, even when there was ovariole degeneration, 25-day-old virgin queens after mating presented normal ovariole activation.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. P.H. Rolfs s/n, CEP 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edmilson Amaral
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Clóvis Andrade
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Lucio Antonio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Campos
authors.forename: José Cola
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zanuncio
authors.forename: José Eduardo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Serrão
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001516:Bees / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D009866:Oogenesis; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal