218 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



We will now consider the worker — her body is 

 wonderfully formed, certain parts being modified 

 in such a way as to form organs to enable her to 

 perform her various duties. We have described 

 her mouth in the chapter on Hymenoptera. This 

 mouth (Plate 25 Fig. 4) enables her to carry any 

 reasonable bulk of honey or nectar. The mandibles 

 enable her to tear and knead the wax into what- 

 ever form is required, such as cells of the comb. 

 The body is covered with hairs which catch the 

 pollen easily. The legs (Plate 26) are specially 

 fitted for pollen-gathering. The usual parts of an 

 insect's leg are present — the coxa or hip ; trochanter ; 

 thigh or femur ; shank or tibia ; followed by a five- 

 jointed tarsus or foot, the first joint of which is 

 always very much larger than the other tarsal 

 joints. The last tarsal joint carries two larger 

 claws with smaller claws or bristles, and also 

 "touch" hairs which are sensitive to touch. The 

 foot is beautifully fitted for walking on either 

 smooth or rough surfaces. When the bees are 

 making wax they cling together forming festoons 

 of their bodies, and they do this by means of their 

 claws. The claws of the hind legs of each bee 

 are turned upwards to form a ''hanger," while 

 those of the front feet of the next bee hook on to 

 them. They hang together until at last the plates 

 of wax exude between the segments of the under 

 side of the abdomen (Plate 25, Fig. 7a.). Thi^ 

 wax is gathered and worked up to form new wax 

 cells. 



Should a bee be walking on a smooth surface the 

 claws are turned up out of the way, and a pad 



