Apiatans

The Apiata are something akin to a fever dream for social anthropologists and biologists. A sentient eusocial species, these Apiata occupy a unique place in the galaxy thus far. Arising from the planet Apinae, they were described by human members of the first contact team of resembling andorianoids crossed with the bees of old Earth. They have two antennae at the top of their head that have a tendency to hang forward in front of their faces. Their skin tones are almost uniformly in a band of pale gold to yellow, though with an eclectic mix of hair colours (Apiata genetics result in a hair colour that appears to be a crapshoot rather than traditional inheritance). However, their internal structure differs considerably to other species in terms of placement and, to a certain extent, function.

One unusual anatomical quick is the ability to emit a loud 'buzzing' noise, which they will do to indicate irritation. It is never safe to be too near a swarm of buzzing Apiatans, if for your ear's health if nothing else.

The Hive
The hive is the key unit of Apiatan society. Because of their eusocial nature the hive operates as both a family and a community. Consisting typically of approximately a hundred members. Hive members almost always get along closely, particularly as pressure from the the Queen both in terms of personality and pheromones is a powerful force for smoothing rough edges in their family. The level of devotion held towards their Queen by a hive is fanatical, and a large portion of all social upheaval in the form of riots and similar acts of mayhem have resulted from insults towards Queens from workers of different hives.

Hives can work together as long as their Queens can establish a solid working relationship. This results in a broader society that consists of pyramidal structures of Queens, as each tier of cooperation elects a higher tier until there is a single sufficiently elevated Queen, or alternatively a small council of Queens. This provides the basic building block of society, economics, and politics, and governance.

Queen
Queens are the central pillar of an Apiata family, the one to whom loyalty is owed as the mother of the family. Apiata Queens are pheromone producers on a scale that surpasses that of Orion women. However, their own pheromones are geared entirely to hive-maintenance, and provide a semi-sub-conscious means of crowd-control. Queens are also very long-lived, having near Vulcan lifespans - partly thanks to genetics, and partly due to the exacting care of their workers.

The role of the Queen within the Hive is crucial. The psychological differences between the three types are deeply in-built, in a balance Federation scientists believe is 80% nature, 20% nurture. Thus they are hardwired to be assertive decision-makers, to be comfortable holding life-and-death power. This can make even a young, inexperienced queen an extremely formidable person to confront even for those of other species.

The politics between Queens are extremely difficult for outsiders to follow, as there is often a very deep inter-personal component. Further negotiations play out in a multitude of small councils as decisions percolate upwards. As a result, without personal involvement, it can be an exercise in what humans once called "Kremlinology" to gauge the political winds. By the same token, this is also no small task for the Queens themselves to keep track of, and many have been caught out by sudden upheavals among Hives thought securely in their own corner.

Imprecations and vulgar language revolving around Queens, especially a particular Queen, is the most transgressive of language within Apiata society and will almost certainly result in a fight.

Worker
The Apiatan Worker is by far the most numerous of the three types. Aside from being on average a little smaller than the Queens, there is not much to outwardly distinguish them when given a picture. Most notably, though both have a female appearance, the workers tend to be less filled out, and there is a tendency for their antennae to be darker than their Queens. In person, however, Queens often advertise their position through additional pieces of jewelry, clothing, or even simply the fact they are the ones at the center of a considerable entourage. Further, when interacting with them, the personality difference between a Queen and a Worker is difficult to mistake.

The loyalty of a Worker to her Queen is meant to be absolute, and in the vast majority of cases is the case. Many instances have been seen where workers will ignore severe wounds of their own to see to it that their Queen is treated for relatively minor injuries. This practice has led to tremendous friction within Starfleet Medical Command. By contrast, there is almost no sense of loyalty beyond intra-Hive loyalty to the Drones of their Queen. Only the Queen herself commands the loyalty of the workers, rather than all birth-parents.

Apiata workers have some of the quickest growth patterns of all Federation sentients, achieving their adult growth years ahead of Andorians or Amarki. This aids Queens in establishing their early hive, or simply, "replacing losses." Workers carry a single name, given by their Queen, that is used within the Hive. When interacting outside of the Hive, if they need to be specific they will tend to introduce themselves as "'Name' of 'Queen'". Workers tend to have extremely little concept of personal space or privacy, a by-product of their extend hive upbringing. They are perfectly happy to sleep clumped together.

Some Workers take on junior officer or warrant roles as Ozziras. Rather than being strictly technical specialists, are more akin to the junior officers or Petty Officers of other services, going as far as commanding Stingers and Foragers.

Although workers are not fertile, they will sometimes carry on romantic relations with someone from outside of their hive. However, more general friendships outside of a Hive are rare. When they do occur, they often originate in a Hive being part of starship or Comb Stave operations, or otherwise engaged in multi-hive cooperation.

Drone
The masculine corner of the triangle of Apiatan sub-types, the adult Drone is a sexually-matured male who typically forms part of the inner sanctum of a Queen. The exact mechanics of Apiatan mating and rearing are a private matter closely held by the Apiata, who are as reluctant to discuss the matter as the Vulcans are pon-farr. Some basics have been inferred, but early childhood remains shrouded in no small mystique. At present, that does not appear to be changing anytime soon, leaving their practices, traditions, and laws difficult to clarify.

Drones tend to be in-between Queens and Workers in height, and are given to lean, athletic forms. Their antennae will have a blue tint early in life, transforming slowly into green as they reach adulthood. Unlike males in some other non-sentient eusocial species, the Drone does not expire upon mating, but will remain with the Hive. They typically work within the domestic sphere of the hive, supporting the workers rather than taking an active broader workforce role. As a result, it is important for a Hive to have not too many, and not have too few Drones. To help combat this, Drones are the only type that will periodically leave one Hive for another, though always with the blessings of Queens on either side.

Defective Bonds
For almost all of recorded Apiatan history, those workers whose pheromone processing enzymes were genetically inhibited were referred to as 'Defective Workers'. These workers held only a minimal, conscious bond to their queen, rather than the deep-seated, chemically aided loyalty of their peers. Sometimes these workers who hide themselves, but more commonly they would come forward. Apart from a fortunate few who were seconded to certain positions in the All-Hives Fleet or United Hives of Apinae, by shell-shocked survivors, the grand majority were euthanised as defective. This practice proved to be an extremely contentious one, and arguably the practice that most delayed federation membership.

Federation First Contact
Met the USS Enterprise and immediately affiliated on the back of their diplomatic efforts.