RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGING, MATING AND SPERM PRODUCTION IN CAPTIVE BOMBUS-TERRESTRIS

Mating behaviour of Bombus terrestris, its sperm production and sperm transfer to queens were studied in parallel, under controlled conditio ns. The mean value of the age of mating was 6.1 days (s.e. = 0.4 days) for queens and 12.1 days (s.e. = 1.3 days) for males. The average spe rm content of vasa deferentia ranged between 4000 and 230 000 spermato zoa per mate. It increased from emergence up to the sixth day. The age at which males mated extended from the sixth day to day 27. Chances t o cause queens to mate dropped dramatically after day 11. Spermatheca contents varied from 5800 to 36 200 spermatozoa after a single copulat ion with virgin males. The efficiency of mating in terms of sperm tran sfer to spermatheca was not affected by the age but was reduced by pre vious copulations of the male.