Valve Fold

[eddiespangle]

Does anyone know what a Valve Fold and its function is? It’s a question from the 2010 Module 7 paper. I’ve studied Yates and Snodgrass but I can’t find any definition. Though Snodgrass does describe a ‘…free flap provided with muscles, which is so situated that when elevated its end fits into the opening of the duct above…[to] hold the passing egg tight against the upper virginal wall so that…[the egg’s] aperture through which the spermatozoa pass…would come against the opening of the duct and thus ensure fertilisation’ (Snodgrass R.E., The Anatomy of the Honey Bee P138).

Is this it?

 

[drstitson]

yes.

edit: BTW have you heard of google yet? great newfangled toy. enter "valve fold bee oviduct" and see what you get!

edit^edit: BTW^BTW much prefer the new avatar!!!!

 

[eddiespangle]

That was quick. Thank You!

 

[chrismcd]

Seems to be involved with the mechanism of the queen fertilising the eggs she chooses to.

Try a Tunisian version - off Google

http://ressources.ciheam.org/om/pdf/b25/99600233.pdf

"The liberation of spermatozoids is dependent on the opening of the muscular sphincter of the spermatheca, itself controlled by a reflex triggered by the size of the aperture of the cell opening detected by the queen's first pair of legs. Fertilised eggs are deposited in the cells of workers or queens, and the non-fertilised ones in the drone cells."

 

[eddiespangle]

Thanks Chris. A very useful document; I'll need to print it off before I attempt to read fully.

 

[susbees]

Eddie, I'm doing Mod 7 in March - happy to share headaches

 

[Easy Beesy]

Guys - this is great; my study group has been arguing about just this - what decides/operates the mechanism for the queen laying drone/ worker eggs? From this thread it sounds like there is an automatic connection between opening her legs wide and spermatheca sphincter muscle contraction. Rather than her 'thought' process of 'ooo, large cell, need no sperm for this one'. The details have been a bit of a grey area.
Someone thought she stretched her back end into the cell and the extra stretching into a drone cell caused the spermatheca muscle to involuntary contract and not allow sperm through.
Eb

 

[Easy Beesy]

Another query that came up - how does she know that one type of large cell requires a drone egg but another type of large cell (queen cell) requires a fertilised egg?

 

[susbees]

Curled rim theory? Same source as bent abdomen theory. If this is in the syllabus not got there yet (doing 2 as well)

 

[susbees]

And the function of the valve fold is to make novice IIers even more frustrated by their slow progress. Got the T-shirt...

 

[tonybloke]

Another query that came up - how does she know that one type of large cell requires a drone egg but another type of large cell (queen cell) requires a fertilised egg?

not sure a queen has ever been observed laying an eg in a queen cup? due to totally different orientation, perhaps?

 

[eddiespangle]

Another query that came up - how does she know that one type of large cell requires a drone egg but another type of large cell (queen cell) requires a fertilised egg?

I’m not convinced that the queen lays in a queen cell – I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that the egg is moved by workers and occasionally a QC can be found above a QE.

 

[eddiespangle]

Guys - this is great; my study group has been arguing about just this - what decides/operates the mechanism for the queen laying drone/ worker eggs? From this thread it sounds like there is an automatic connection between opening her legs wide and spermatheca sphincter muscle contraction. Rather than her 'thought' process of 'ooo, large cell, need no sperm for this one'. The details have been a bit of a grey area.
Someone thought she stretched her back end into the cell and the extra stretching into a drone cell caused the spermatheca muscle to involuntary contract and not allow sperm through.
Eb

Thak you Easy Beesy. This theory seems not to account for drones eggs being laid in worker cells and resulting in domed caps.

 

[eddiespangle]

Eddie, I'm doing Mod 7 in March - happy to share headaches

Thanks Susbees. Before I realised the enormity of the curriculum for each module I signed up for modules 1,2,5 and 7 in March. I’m trying to spend a week on each before moving onto the next. My main effort will be modules 5 and 7; I think module 1 is pretty straight forward and I’ll take some risk with module 2. I know how to make things difficult for myself – but I work best under pressure.

 

[susbees]

Thanks Susbees. Before I realised the enormity of the curriculum for each module I signed up for modules 1,2,5 and 7 in March. I’m trying to spend a week on each before moving onto the next. My main effort will be modules 5 and 7; I think module 1 is pretty straight forward and I’ll take some risk with module 2. I know how to make things difficult for myself – but I work best under pressure.

You can hold over exams til next year having paid up front. Owing to the side effects of meds I wouldn't be able to write the answers to more than two exams on one day. I know two beekeepers locally who've failed Module 1 and they are both intelligent, articulate people...oh good, pressure...

 

[eddiespangle]

I’ll give them all a whirl. But I wont be too surprised if I have to reshow on some next year; hopefully not all. Susbees, are doing two modules in Mar?

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

It is also important in artificial insemination. You have to pull the stinger just enough to get past the valvefold or nothing gets in.

 

[chrismcd]

Gents,

I would assume you have discovered the good work done by Mid-Bucks Beekeepers.

But, just in case

http://blog.mbbka.org.uk/category/education/bbka-module-7/

 

[DanBee]

Seems to be involved with the mechanism of the queen fertilising the eggs she chooses to.

Try a Tunisian version - off Google

http://ressources.ciheam.org/om/pdf/b25/99600233.pdf

"The liberation of spermatozoids is dependent on the opening of the muscular sphincter of the spermatheca, itself controlled by a reflex triggered by the size of the aperture of the cell opening detected by the queen's first pair of legs. Fertilised eggs are deposited in the cells of workers or queens, and the non-fertilised ones in the drone cells."

That's not the valve fold, that's the spermathecal pump.

 

[DanBee]

Another query that came up - how does she know that one type of large cell requires a drone egg but another type of large cell (queen cell) requires a fertilised egg?

Orientation?