A drone bee is a male honey bee whose sole purpose is to mate with a queen bee during a nuptial flight). Unlike female worker bees, drones do not have a stinger, do not gather nectar or pollen, and cannot feed without assistance from worker bees). They are characterized by eyes that are twice the size of those of worker bees and queens, and a body size greater than that of worker bees, though usually smaller than the queen bee). Drones have a thick abdomen and long legs, and their unique appearance makes them easy to spot. They have massive flight muscles for chasing after the queens at speeds up to 35 kilometers an hour. Drones are highly specialized to perform one function, mating and continuing the propagation of the hive). They are vital for the survival of honey bee colonies. The life expectancy of a drone is about 90 days).