Drone cell cappings of Asian cavity-nesting honey bees (Apis spp.)

Drone pupae of Apis cerana are sealed in their cells under a hard silken cap with central pore, feature notably lacking the closely related species, nigrocincta. In this paper, pore is confirmed for drone four additional species or putative cavity-nesting honey bees Asia. Inaccuracies literature to cell cappings Asian clarified. The character state each taxon was added recent phylogeny genus Apis. Parsimony analysis indicates that evolved once common ancestor all and subsequently lost Possible functions reviewed, but true reasons underlying its loss A. nigrocincta remain unresolved.