The discussion of bee mating reminds me of something weird that happened a few weeks ago. I was sitting next to a beehive and watching them come and go when a drone landed on the side of the hive and started walking toward the entrance. The drones don't have any sting, so beekeepers practice picking them up so that we can get good at in case we need to catch a queen to move her around. So I grabbed the drone by his wings and flipped him upside down to get a good look at him and this thing came shooting out of his abdomen. It was huge compared to the size of the bee and had some tentacle-like things sticking out to the sides.

It turns out that (I Googled it, of course) the thing was his phalus! If you pick up a drone, turn him upside down, and squeeze just right he will ejaculate and die instantly. I felt a little bit sad because I had wasted his one shot for glory, but it was fascinating.