Honey bee
Anjitha
A honey bee is a group of insects in the family Apidae and the genus Apis all are natives to afro Eurasia. exception for Apis mellifera, all other Apis species are confined to parts of southern or southeastern Asia.
Apis mellifera is about 1.2 cm long, although the size varies among the several types of this species. The head and thorax are somewhat stiff and vary in colour according to the types. Three simple eyes and two large compound eyes are located on top of the head. Keen eyesight is complemented by two sensitive antennae for odor-detecting.
All honeybees are social insects and live together in hives. The honeybee is stunning for the dancing movements it performs in the hive to communicate information to its fellow bees about the location, size, distance, and quality of a particular food source in the surroundings.
Honey bees are the only insect that produces something that is edible. Sugar content is too high in honey because it is naturally anti-microbial.
There are Male and female honey bees exist. In females, two castes exist queen and workers. workers are females but do not attain sexual maturity. In the case of the queen, they are larger than workers and attain sexual maturity. Males are also called drones they are larger than females and exist only in the early summer. Only one queen is present per hive. The queen lives for 2-3 years.
The spermatheca is the structure where Queen honeybees store sperm which allows them to control the fertilization of their eggs. Thus queens can lay eggs that are either unfertilized or fertilized. Fertilized eggs develop into females whereas Unfertilized eggs develop into drones. Eggs destined to become queens are deposited in queen cells, which are vertical cells in the honeycomb that are larger than normal. After hatching, the virgin queens are fed royal jelly which is the substance produced by the salivary glands of the workers. Virgin queens will develop into workers, When not fed a diet consisting of royal jelly alone. During the swarming season, in the presence of a weak queen the queen is absent, and the workers may lay unfertilized eggs, giving rise to drones . The only reason for being drones in the hive is for reproducing with the queen because Males do not know how to even feed themselves. The males do not have a stinger and they are expelled from the hive in the autumn season because there are no uses for them.
Polyandry
In a honey bee, the queen shows polyandry behaviour in which the queen often mates with many drones. Which increases genetic diversity and improves the fitness and survival of the colony. Because genetic diversity has the characteristics like foraging activity, food supplies, and population size that favours the formation of new colonies and the production of new queens.
Hives
The hive is a series of combs composed of two layers of hexagon cells made up of wax produced and secreted by the workers. Food in the form of plant nectar, honey, and bee bread, made from pollen, is stored in the cells. Honey which the bees produce from the flower nectar, was virtually the only form of sugar readily available to humans until modern times. Because of this reason, honeybees have been domesticated by humans. Beekeeping is the art of caring for and managing colonies of honeybees. Besides producing honey, honeybees play an important role in farming as pollinators of a variety of domesticated plants.
Economic importance
Honey bees have much economic importance. Mainly it helps in the pollination of many fruits and vegetables as well as vegetative crops. Also, produce a wide variety of important products are made from pollen, honey, royal jelly, and beeswax.
Honey is antimicrobial and many other
Honey wax is flammable and has been used to make candles. Make it a useful sealant from moisture because of its waxy property. As a coating on fabrics or leathers, it keeps moisture out. As a moisturiser on the skin, leather helps keep moisture in.
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Honey bees have much economic importance. Mainly it helps in the pollination of many fruits and vegetables as well as vegetative crops. Also, produce a wide variety of important products are made from pollen, honey, royal jelly, and beeswax.
Honey is antimicrobial and many other
Honey wax is flammable and has been used to make candles. Make it a useful sealant from moisture because of its waxy property. As a coating on fabrics or leathers, it keeps moisture out. As a moisturiser on the skin, leather helps keep moisture in.
Male-Drones
Female: Queen, Worker
In a honey bee, the queen shows polyandry behaviour in which the queen often mates with many drones
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