male honey bees are known as drones. 🍯 🐝

during mating, which occurs in mid-air during the queen’s nuptial flight, a drone inserts his reproductive organ (endophallus) into the queen.

the ejaculation is explosive, causing the endophallus to rupture and detach, leaving part of it inside the queen (often called a “mating sign”). this severely injures the drone, his abdomen ruptures, and he dies shortly afterward, often falling to the ground.

this is a one-time event for each successful drone; they cannot mate again. the queen mates with multiple drones (typically 10–20) during her single flight to collect enough sperm for her lifetime.