honey bee apis mellifera anatomy & biology
DESCRIPTION
Honey Bee Apis mellifera Anatomy & Biology. Honey Bee External Anatomy. Three Body Regions Head, Thorax, and Abdomen. Head. Compound Eyes Three Ocelli Simple Eyes Antennae Respond to Touch & Odor Mandibles Proboscis Lapping up Nectar & Other Fine Particles . Compound Eye. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Honey BeeApis mellifera
Anatomy & Biology
Honey Bee External Anatomy
• Three Body Regions– Head, Thorax, and Abdomen
Head
• Compound Eyes• Three Ocelli
– Simple Eyes• Antennae
– Respond to Touch & Odor
• Mandibles• Proboscis
– Lapping up Nectar & Other Fine Particles
Compound Eye
Mosaic Picture
Also in UV
http://www.naturfotograf.com/UV_flowers_list.html
Thorax• Point of Attachment for
– Six Legs– Two Pairs of Wings
Pollen Baskets
Abdomen• Spiracles for Breathing• Stinger/Ovipositor (Workers & Queen)• Male Bees (Drones) do not have a stinger
Internal Anatomy
Nasonov Gland
• “Come Hither” Pheromone
• Released by Worker Bees to Signal entrance of hive or mark flowers
Nervous System
Circulatory System
Stinger
Honey Bee Biology
Complete Metamorphosis
Workers, Drones, & Queen
Worker Bees (Are all Female)
• Worker Bee Life Cycle– Hatching of egg: 3 Days– Larva stage (Feeding): 5 days– Pupa stage: 13 days– From Egg to Adult: 21 days
Drones
• Mate with virgin queen. Die after mating• ~ 17 Drones may mate with Queen during her
mating flight.• Get “kicked out” of hive in winter.
Queen
• Mature female that received abundant amounts of royal jelly while as larva
• Can live 2 – 4 years• Can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day during
spring build up.
Metamorphosis of Queen Bee
– Egg hatches on Day 3– Larva (several moltings)Day 3 to Day 8½– Queen cell capped~ Day 7½– Pupa~ Day 8 until emergence– Emergence~Day 15½ - Day 17– Nuptial Flight(s)~Day 20 – 24– Egg Laying~Day 23 and up
Swarming
Eventually, the worker bees decide that• the queen has become too old or
damaged• Or that the hive is physically too small
So… They decide to make a new queen(s)