The Body of the Bee
Bees vary greatly in size. Some tropical social bees are only one-twelfth of an inch (2 mm) long. Others, such as the leaf-cutter bee, a solitary bee, sometimes reach a length of 1 1/2 inches (38 mm).
A bee's body, like that of other insects, is divided into three segments: the head; the chest, or thorax; and the abdomen. The insect has two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs.
Some bees have a defensive organ called a stinger, which is a modified ovipositor (egglaying organ). The stinger is usually a barbed shaft at the end of the abdomen. At its base is a gland that secretes poison. When the stinger is stuck into the skin of an animal, poison is pumped into the victim. When the bee attempts to pull away, the stinger is torn from its body and the bee dies. Bumblebees, however, have a barbless stinger and can sting repeatedly. Bees generally will not sting unless they are irritated or threatened. For most humans and animals, a bee sting is painful but not dangerous. However, some persons are allergic to the poison and require immediate injections of antihistamines when stung.
The bee's head, thorax, and legs are covered with fine hair. When the bee brushes up against a flower, pollen collects on the hairs. The lower legs are covered with rows of bristles called combs. By moving the combs over the pollen-covered hairs, the bee brushes the pollen off into pollen baskets—formations of longer hairs on the hind legs. Pollen accumulates on the hind legs in large clumps. It is then brought to the hive. Pollen is the bee's main source of protein.
The bee's mouth parts include scissorlike jaws and a long, tube-shaped tongue for sucking nectar from flowers. Nectar is stored in a special stomach called the crop. Two enzymes in the crop change the nectar into a sugary fluid. The sugary fluid is regurgitated and later turns into honey. Nectar is the bee's main source of carbohydrates. Glands in the abdomen produce a liquid that hardens into beeswax, a substance, as explained later, that is used to build the honeycomb.
Bees, like most insects, become adults only after a period of growth and development called a metamorphosis. The insect emerges from the egg as a wormlike grub, called a larva. After completing its growth, the larva becomes a pupa, passing into an inactive stage during which the physical structures of the adult bee develop.
