Is it true that a drone bee takes the longest to develop a mature adult?

Yes, it is true that drone bees take longer to develop into mature adults compared to worker bees and queen bees. The development of a drone bee typically takes about 24 days from egg to adult, whereas worker bees take around 21 days and queens about 16 days. This extended development time is due to the larger size and different biological needs of drones, which are primarily produced for mating.