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A UAUUkL FOR THE ARTIi-'IClAL INSEMINATION OF QUEEN BEES 
By Otto Mackensen and W. C. Roberts,^ 
Division of Bee Culture 
INTRODUCTION 
Ever since the discovery that the queen mates in the air, the con- 
trol of mating has been the bee breeder* s dream* A number of methods 
have been devised for oontrolling the natural mating act, of which iso- 
lation at mating stations has been the most satisfactory. It has long 
been realised, however, that absolute control of mating could only be 
attained through some method of artificial insemination, and many efforts 
have been made in this direction with varying degrees of success. 
The many early attempts at artificial insemination have been reviewed 
by Nolan (^) and, although the early investigators have advanced the 
method, the works which have contributed most are those of Watson (£, 10 ), 
Nolan (_5, 6) , and Laidlaw (2_) • By modifying the apparatus and methods 
devised by these three men, the writers have been able to obtain results 
far superior to any heretofore presented, and it is the purpose of this 
publication to describe the apparatus and procedure in sufficient detail 
so that anyone may duplicate them.2/ 
THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 
To be successful with artificial insemination one must be familiar 
with certain anatomical features of the queen. Although several workers 
have studied the sex organs of bees, Laidlaw (2^) made the most recent 
and thorough study from an artificial-insemination standpoint, and was 
the first to recognize the full significance of the valvefold of the 
queen in the success of the insemination process. 
The tip of the abdomen of the queen is made up of an upper, or 
dorsal, plate and a lower, or ventral, plate, which close at the tip 
like a clam shell. The cavity that these plates enclose is called the 
sting chamber. In figure 1 the tip of the abdomen is shown in proper 
position for artificial insemination, with the dorsal plate (DP) and the 
ventral plate (VP) drawn apart exposing the sting chamber and its various 
structures, including the sting (ST) and the vaginal orifice (VO) . 
1/ In cooperation with the Louisiana State University and the 
University of Wisconsin. 
2/ The insemination apparatus, exclusive of microscope and anesthe- 
tic equipment, can be purchased from the Department of Economic Entomology, 
King Hall, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. 
