07/07/2025
Bit of the 🐝🐝biology, very interesting reading 🐝🐝
Here’s an overview of bee anatomy, focusing on the honeybee:
🐝 External Anatomy of a Honeybee
1. Head
• Antennae – two jointed feelers used for smelling, tasting, and feeling.
• Compound Eyes – two large eyes made up of thousands of tiny lenses, used for detecting movement, color, and light patterns.
• Ocelli – three small simple eyes on top of the head that detect light intensity.
• Mandibles – jaws used for biting, cutting wax, grooming, and feeding larvae.
• Proboscis – a long, tube-like tongue used to suck nectar from flowers.
2. Thorax (middle section)
• Contains the muscles for movement.
• Wings – two pairs (forewings and hindwings) used for flying.
• Legs – three pairs (six legs total):
• Forelegs: used for cleaning antennae.
• Middle legs: assist in walking and grooming.
• Hind legs: have pollen baskets (corbiculae) for carrying pollen.
3. Abdomen
• Spiracles – holes used for breathing.
• Wax Glands (workers only) – produce wax scales used to build comb.
• Stinger (females only) – used for defense.
• Nasonov gland (workers) – releases pheromones to guide other bees.
• Reproductive organs:
• Queens: developed ovaries and a sperm-storing organ (spermatheca).
• Drones: developed te**es (no stinger).
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🧠 Internal Anatomy Highlights
• Brain – controls sensory input and behavior.
• Esophagus & Honey Stomach – carries nectar to the honey stomach for transport.
• Midgut & Hindgut – used for digestion and absorption.
• Heart – a simple tube that pumps hemolymph (bee “blood”).
• Malpighian tubules – filter waste like kidneys.