In the insect world, certain male bees have the enviable task of performing no work. Their primary function is to mate with the queen bee. What are they called?

In the fascinating world of a bee colony, there's a specialized group of male bees whose existence revolves around a single, crucial purpose: reproduction. These male bees are known as drones. Unlike their diligent female counterparts, the worker bees, drones perform no tasks related to foraging for nectar or pollen, building honeycomb, or defending the hive. Their role is entirely dedicated to ensuring the continuation of the species.

The primary function of a drone is to mate with a virgin queen. During the warmer months, drones will gather in specific "drone congregation areas" high in the air, awaiting the arrival of a queen on her nuptial flight. Only the swiftest and strongest drones will succeed in mating with her. This act of reproduction is often fatal for the drone, as its reproductive organs are torn away during copulation, leading to its immediate death. The queen, meanwhile, stores the sperm from multiple drones to fertilize her eggs for the rest of her life, which can span several years.

Drones are physically distinct from other bees in the hive. They are larger than worker bees, with robust bodies and conspicuously large eyes that nearly meet at the top of their heads, which are essential for spotting queens during flight. Interestingly, drones also lack a stinger, meaning they cannot defend themselves or the colony. They are entirely dependent on worker bees for food, holding out their tongues for workers to feed them honey. As autumn approaches and resources become scarce, drones are often expelled from the hive by worker bees to conserve food stores for the winter, a stark end to their specialized lives.