Queen's secondary set of arms.

[SM]

I'm not sure she is supported by the dorsal spines.  I don't have a picture handy but I remember her hanging from big thick long pieces of hive resin - not her spines.

[FACEBOX]

I don't think the resin is even making contact with her body. 

[FACEBOX]

Here's a production photo of the puppet:

[SiL]

The resin is connected via the spines.

Even if it's not, they're still pretty useless for holding anything, and if they need to go through the trouble of gunking it on, then why bother with spines anyway?

[SM]

Protection from rear attack.

[SiL]

Rear flank more like it. They're practically sticking out sideways.

[SM]

Rear flank then.  With tail for rear guard action.

Is starting to sound a bit porno....?

[SiL]

Ja, we have some tail to protect ze backdoor entrance for extra fun!

[SM]

Nein using za tradezmenz entrance mit der tail in for za proteczhun!

[Meathead320]

Hi all, sorry I did not comment on this sooner, I was out of town.

I have one of the rare ¼ scale Queen Maquettes (less than 5 exist) and there is NO WAY that the spikes on her back were connected to  the Resin rods that were suspending her in the hive.

They all have a symmetrical shape to them, and near where they connect to her, there is a hlaf disc shaped plate.

The resin rods that held up her body where actually attached to the end of the eggsack that connects to the Queen's body. The top of the eggsack is actually what is holding her up.

That being said, the spikes on the Queens back look like they should be very mobile as where they grow out of her actually is raised out of her back, almost like a movable knuckle under a semi-flexible part of her exoskeleton.

She could have easily held a few eggs back there.

Also, even without the eggsack the Queen DOES have a vagina like orfice. Given her size, she easily could have an emergency egg or even two up there.