HYMENOPTERA 



145 



than those of any other insect and volumes have been 

 written concerning it. There are three different classes 

 of individuals in a bee colony; the true males, called 

 drones, the fully devel- 

 oped females or queens, 

 and the workers, which are 

 females not fully devel- 

 oped sexually. In a col- 

 ony there is one queen, a 

 varying number of drones, 

 and in a strong swarm, 

 many thousand workers. 

 The drones serve no pur- 

 pose aside from the fer- 

 tilization of the queens 

 and they are produced 

 in numbers far in excess 

 of the needs for this func- 

 tion. The queens lay the 

 eggs for the production of 

 workers and other queens 

 while unfertilized queens 

 and workers produce 

 eggs which develop into 

 drones. 



The workers do all 

 the work of the colony, 

 build comb, gather nec- 

 tar, pollen and certain 



other substances used in the hive, and care for the larvae 

 or brood. They keep the hive clean and also regulate 

 the temperature somewhat by " fanning " with their wings. 

 From the nectar they manufacture honey and wax. 



12. 



FIG. 108. Types of Hymenoptera 

 Bees (Apoidea). Enlarged. 



1, Carpenter-bee ; 2, 3, 4, Bumble* 

 bees; 5, 7, Honey-bee, queens; 6, Drone- 

 bee ; 8, 9, 10, workers; 11-15, Solitary- 

 bees. 



