The pore in the hard conical Apis cerana drone capping results from a spinning process

A central, funnel-like pore in the conical cap (measuring 0.3 mm in depth a nd 0.25-0.50 mm in diameter) is typical for Apis cerana drone brood cells. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the spinning process and t he origin of the pore from dated A. cerana drone brood cells. In contrast t o earlier reports the pore in A. cerana drone cell caps is constructed by r otating movements of the drone larva during the spinning process. Unresolve d questions concerning the biological significance of the pole are discusse d. The reason why this hard conical cap with the central, funnel-like pore evolved only in A. cerana and in A. koschevnikovi, however, remains uncerta in. (C) Inra/DIB/AGIB/Elsevier, Paris.