404 Animal Biology 



bristlelike pollen combs to comb out pollen from various body parts and 

 to handle wax. The wax is secreted in flat scales by a glandular area on 

 the underside of the abdomen. The wax is masticated by the mandibles 

 before it is used in building the "cells" of the honeycomb. 



Ingestion and Digestion. — The mouth parts may be studied from Fig. 

 198. One pair of smooth mandibles lies beneath the upper lip (labrum) 



The sucking mouth parts assist the 



and are used in masticating wax. 



Poison sac 



Alkaline (jland ^Poison) 



^--P/ofces (Levers tx> move barbs) 



Sheath (TohoJd retracted lancets) 



Lancets 



Fa]pus ofstin^ 



Barbs on lanccb 



Fig. 200. — Sting apparatus of the worker honeybee (Apis mellifica) . Drawn with 



the parts somewhat separated. 



suction of the pharynx to convey fluids into the digestive tract. A long 

 esophagus extends from the pharynx to the large honey sac (crop) in 

 the abdomen. A large cylindrical stomach leads into the intestine and 

 the latter joins the rectum which ends in the anus. 



The nectar of flowers is sucked up and stored in the honey sac where 

 it chemically changes into honey. The latter is regurgitated into the 

 "cells" of the honeycomb. Here the honey is still further dehydrated by 

 currents of air which are caused by the rapid vibrations of the wings. 



