Variation on ovariole number in meliponinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) queen's ovaries, with comments on ovary development and caste differentiation

Abstract

The presente paper concerns the variation of the number of ovariole per ovary in the females of some Meliponinae species. In workers, the number of ovarioles was always of 4 per ovary, but in some species the queens had avariable number of ovarioles, from 4 to 15 perovary (asinPlebeiaremota, Nannotrigona testaceicomis, Trigonaspinipes, Schwarziana quadripunctata. The variation of the number of ovarioles was also found in the same species from individual to individual and among the ovaries of a single individual