Reproductive performance and sperm quality in the spermatheca of Apis mellifera queens as a function of fertilization method and floral availability

Data S1 - Raw data This file contains the complete raw dataset generated from the queen-rearing experiment and the subsequent evaluation of reproductive performance and spermathecal sperm quality in Apis mellifera queens. Data were obtained from queens reared in nucleus colonies and subjected to two fertilization methods (natural mating and instrumental insemination) under contrasting floral availability conditions (beginning of flowering and floral scarcity). The dataset includes individual level measurements of queen-rearing outcomes, oviposition performance, and spermathecal sperm parameters, including sperm concentration, motility, viability, acrosome integrity, mitochondrial activity, spermathecal volume, and egg-laying dynamics throughout the evaluation period. These raw data constitute the primary observations supporting the analyses and conclusions of the article entitled “Reproductive performance and sperm quality in the spermatheca of Apis mellifera queens as a function of fertilization method and floral availability”. Data S2 – Means ± Standard error This file contains the summarized dataset derived from the queen-rearing and reproductive performance experiment, expressed as mean values ± standard error (SE) for each parameter evaluated in Apis mellifera queens. Data are grouped according to fertilization method (natural mating and instrumental insemination) and floral availability (beginning of flowering and floral scarcity). The summarized values correspond to the descriptive statistics presented in the tables and figures of the associated article “Reproductive performance and sperm quality in the spermatheca of Apis mellifera queens as a function of fertilization method and floral availability” and facilitate comparative interpretation of treatment effects. Codebook´s This file contains the codebook for the datasets associated with the article “Reproductive performance and sperm quality in the spermatheca of Apis mellifera queens as a function of fertilization method and floral availability”. The codebook provides a detailed description of all variables included in both the raw and summarized datasets, including variable names, definitions, biological meaning, units of measurement, data types, and categorical coding schemes. It also specifies experimental factors related to queen rearing (Codebook S1), fertilization method (natural mating and instrumental insemination), floral availability (beginning of flowering and floral scarcity) (Codebook S2), and reproductive spermathecal stored sperm parameters (Codebook S3). Variable structure and naming conventions are consistent with the datasets and the statistical analyses performed in R software, facilitating reproducibility and correct interpretation of the data by other researchers.