HYMENOPTERA 



185 



domen and by the absence of wax plates, planta, and pollen baskets. The 

 queen is hatched from a fertilized egg in a large cylindric, vertical cell 

 (Fig. 149, 6-10), and fed almost wholly upon bee-jelly regurgitated by the 

 nurse workers. Here, at least, is one strong example of the influence of 

 environment during development, for it has been proved that there is no 

 difference between the egg from which the queen is developed and the one 

 which develops into the worker. 



The workers (Fig. 149, A ) , which are the bees we commonly see, are smaller 

 than the queens and males. They are hatched in hexagonal, horizontal 



Fig. 149. Hive bees and comb (after Schmeil). A, Worker; if, queen; 

 D, drone; 1, worker with cells filled with honey and covered; 2, cells con- 

 taining eggs, larvae, and pupae; 3, cells containing pollen; 4, below 4 are 

 regular cells; 5, drone cells; 6-10, queen cells. 



cells, and fed, like the males, with honey and bee-bread. " Workers have 

 wax plates under the abdominal segments and pollen baskets on the outer 

 surface of the hind tibiae." 



The males, or drones (Fig. 149, D), have a hairy thorax and a heavy, 

 broad, blunt body, and, like the queen, lack the special structures of the 

 workers. They are hatched in the larger, hexagonal, horizontal cells from 

 " unfertilized " eggs. After the swarming season is over, the males are 

 driven out of the hive or stung to death by the workers. 



When a community becomes too large, the workers prepare a " queen- 

 cell " and develop a queen by process of special feeding and care, or, it 



