"Queen bee" typically refers to the dominant reproductive female in a honeybee colony. She is vital to the colony's functioning, as she lays eggs and maintains the population. The queen bee is larger than the worker bees and has a distinct physiology that enables her to produce eggs. Additionally, she emits pheromones that help regulate the behavior and cohesion of the colony. If the queen bee dies or becomes less productive, the worker bees will raise a new queen by feeding royal jelly to a selected larva, which then develops into a new queen. In a broader sense, "queen bee" can also metaphorically refer to a female leader or dominant figure in various contexts. https://www.italki.com/en/affshare?ref=af8543771