The Ultimate Sacrifice
When a male honeybee mates with the queen, his genitals explode with an audible pop, killing him instantly.
For male honeybees (drones), sex is a one-time, fatal event. When a drone successfully mates with a queen, his genitals literally explode — the tip of his penis ruptures with an audible "pop" and remains lodged inside the queen as the drone falls away, dead.
This violent climax isn't a design flaw; it's an evolutionary strategy. The exploded genitals serve as a "mating plug" that temporarily blocks other males from mating with the queen. The plug usually doesn't last long, though — the next male to mate typically removes it.
Queens mate with 10-20 drones during their mating flights, storing enough sperm to last their entire lives (up to 5 years). This brief period is the only time in her life she'll mate. Drones exist solely for this purpose — they don't work, don't forage, and can't even feed themselves.
The mating flight itself is dramatic: the queen flies high into the air, pursued by drones from various hives. Only the fastest, strongest males catch her. For those that do, the "reward" is instant death — but their genes live on through the thousands of offspring the queen will produce.