THE SENSE ORGANS ON THE MOUTH-PARTS OF THE 



HONEY BEE 



By N. E. McIndoo, Ph. D. 



BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Introduction and methods i 



Experiments to determine whether bees have likes and dislikes in regard 



to foods 3 



1. Preliminary experiments in feeding bees foods containing various 



substances 4 



2. Experiments in feeding bees foods containing repellents 8 



3. Experiments in feeding bees sweet foods 10 



4. Experiments in feeding bees foods containing bitter substances. ... 14 



5. Experiments in feeding bees foods containing sour substances 15 



6. Experiments in feeding bees foods containing sodium salts 17 



7. Experiments in feeding bees foods containing potassium salts 19 



8. Summary of preceding experiments 20 



Morphology of the sense organs on the mouth-parts of the honey bee 21 



1. Structure of the innervated hairs 22 



(a) Spinelike hairs 23 



(b) Peglike hairs 27 



2. Structure of the olfactory pores 28 



3. Disposition of the innervated hairs 32 



(a) Spinelike hairs 32 



(b) Peglike hairs 36 



4. Disposition of the olfactory pores 36 



5. The tactile sense of the honey bee 39 



6. How bees eat liquid foods 41 



7. Summary of sense organs 45 



Discussion of literature 46 



General discussion 51 



Literature cited 52 



Abbreviations 54 



INTRODUCTION AND METHODS 



Little experimental work has ever been performed to determine 

 whether insects have a true gustatory sense, although the sense organs 

 on the mouth-parts of various insects have been studied considerably. 

 At least three different kinds of sense organs on the mouth-parts have 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 65, No. 14 



