Royal jelly

Definition

A protein-rich secretion produced by the hypopharyngeal glands of nurse honey bees (Apis mellifera) and fed to all larvae during early development; when supplied continuously and in large quantities, it triggers the developmental switch that produces a queen rather than a worker, including dramatic increases in body size, reproductive capacity, and lifespan.

Etymology

Example

Queen cells are provisioned with copious royal jelly, allowing the larva to float in the substance; this nutritional environment activates epigenetic changes that suppress worker traits and extend adult lifespan from weeks to years.

Synonyms

• bee milk

Related Terms

• hypopharyngeal gland
• nurse bee
• queen cell
• caste determination
• larval nutrition
• eusociality
• Honey bee
• Propolis
• Beeswax

Usage Notes

The term specifically denotes the secretion itself, not the resulting phenotype; while all larvae receive royal jelly initially, only prospective queens are fed it exclusively and abundantly throughout larval life. The developmental switch is nutritional rather than genetic, making royal jelly a classic example of environmental caste determination in social insects. Commercial harvesting involves removing queen cells before emergence.