【目的】 复眼作为大多数昆虫最重要的视觉器官，其小眼数量和体积大小一定程度上反映了昆虫视觉能力的强弱。视蛋白作为视觉感知中的功能性分子，在光信号转导过程中具有重要作用，基因的表达受到外源和内源等多种因素的影响。本研究旨在探讨蜂王和工蜂复眼形态发育及视蛋白基因的时间表达模式。【方法】 选取3群群势相当的意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica蜂群进行人工育王，采集蜂王与工蜂蛹期各日龄蜂蛹及新蜂样品，采用扫描电镜技术观察蜂王和工蜂复眼的外部形态结构，利用Image J软件测量复眼短长轴、面积、小眼个数、小眼面积和小眼直径；采用实时定量PCR技术检测蜂王和工蜂蛹期紫外光视蛋白基因（UV-sensitive opsin，UVop）、绿光视蛋白基因（Green opsin，Lop1）和蓝光视蛋白基因（Blue-sensitive opsin，BLop）3种视蛋白基因的 mRNA 表达水平。【结果】 蜂王和工蜂均是在蛹期末龄（出房前）分化出小眼；出房后，蜂王和工蜂复眼面积均变小（P ˂ 0.001），蜂王复眼短轴（P ˂ 0.05）、面积（P ˂ 0.001）、小眼个数（P ˂ 0.001）均显著小于工蜂，但蜂王单个小眼面积（P ˂ 0.001）、小眼直径（P ˂ 0.001）显著大于工蜂。蜂王和工蜂3种视蛋白基因的mRNA 表达水平出房后比出房前显著增加（P ˂ 0.05）；在蜂蛹前期，UVop 的mRNA 表达水平高于Lop1和BLop的表达水平，蜂王视蛋白基因UVop已经表达工蜂在蛹中后期才表达；在化蛹中后期Lop1 mRNA 表达水平显著增加并超过UVop和BLop的表达，成为表达量最高的视蛋白。【结论】 蜂王小眼个数低于工蜂，推测工蜂视觉能力优于蜂王。蜂王和工蜂视蛋白表达模式存在级型特异性，主要表现在蛹期UVop的mRNA 表达水平上。视蛋白的表达模式与体内视觉细胞的发育存在一定的联系，研究结果可为进一步探索意大利蜜蜂蜂王与工蜂的复眼发育规律和感光系统的规律提供一定的理论基础。

[Objectives]  To investigate the morphological development of the compound eyes and the temporal expression of optin genes in queen and worker bees. [Methods]  Three colonies of Apis mellifera ligustica with comparable swarming potential were selected for artificial queen breeding, and samples of queen and worker pupae and newly emerged bees were collected on each day of the pupal stage. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the external morphological structure of the compound eyes of developing queen and worker bees, and Image J was used to measure the short and long axes of compound eyes, their area, and the number, area and diameter of the ommatidia. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of three opsin genes in queen and worker pupae. MRNA expression levels of UV-sensitive opsin (UVop), green opsin (Lop1) and blue-sensitive opsin (BLop), were measured. [Results]  Ommatidia had differentiated in both queen and worker bees at the end of the pupal period (before emergence). After emergence, the compound eye area of both queen and worker bees became smaller (P < 0.001), and the short axis (P < 0.05), area (P < 0.001), and number of ommatidia (P < 0.001) in the compound eyes of queen bees were less than those of worker bees. However, the area (P < 0.001) and diameter (P < 0.001) of the individual eyes of queen bees were larger than those of worker bees. The mRNA expression levels of the three optin genes in queen and worker bees increased significantly (P < 0.05) after exiting the hive compared to before exiting the hive. In the pre-pupal stage, the mRNA expression level of UVop was higher than that of Lop1 and BLop, and UVop was already expressed by worker bees in the middle and late pupal stages. The expression level of Lop1 mRNA increased significantly in the middle and late stages of pupation, surpassing that of UVop and BLop to be the most highly expressed optin gene. [Conclusion]  Queen bees have fewer ommatidia than worker bees, suggesting that worker bees have better vision than queen bees. Opsin expression patterns differed in queens and workers, mainly in the mRNA expression level of UVop in the pupal stage. The expression of opsin is related to the development of visual cells in vivo. These results provide a theoretical basis for further investigation of the development of the compound eye and photosensory system of Apis mellifera ligustica queens and workers.