Transcriptional, translational, and physiological signatures of undernourished honey bees (Apis mellifera) suggest a role for hormonal factors in hypopharyngeal gland degradation

•Honey bee nurses care for larvae in the hive by secreting food from their hypopharyngeal glands.•Nurses that are deprived of pollen have small hypopharyngeal glands.•Small glands are transcriptionally and translationally active compared to large glands.•Small glands show signatures of hormone-induced gland apoptosis.