growth and feeding of honeybee larvae. 



17 



its right or its left side, but in the accompanying figures the larvae 

 are all shown lying on the right side. Owing to the transparency of 

 both the larva and the larval food in which it lies, it is often difficult 

 to detect the presence of larva? of this age without the aid of the 

 microscope, especially when the brood comb is old and dark. In 



-Larva of honeybee, 

 old. 



Fig. 8.- 



-Larva of honeybee, 2 days 

 old. 



several instances newly hatched larvae were found which were not 

 provided with food, so that the presence of larval jelly is not neces- 

 sary for the escape of the larva from the eggshell. Movement is fre- 

 quently observed in young larva?, but this is confined to simple exten- 

 sion and flexion of the body. 



At the end of the first day the larva has attained a length of about 

 2.6 millimeters (fig. T). It is now somewhat less transparent and 

 the diameter of the posterior end of 

 the body is now noticeably larger 

 than that of the anterior end. The 

 area of the base of the cell covered 

 by larval food is proportionately 

 greater. 



At the close of the second day (fig. 

 8) the larva measures slightly less 

 than 6 millimeters in length and is 

 still surrounded by food. 



Larvse 3 days old (fig. 9) are no 

 longer bent in a semicircle, but form 

 an incomplete ring, nearly covering 

 the bottom of the cell. They are 

 much less transparent than at earlier 

 stages and begin to assume the 

 opaque ivory-white appearance char- 

 acteristic of the later stages. 



At the end of the fourth day the larva (fig. 10) is bent to form a 

 complete ring, the anterior and posterior ends overlapping, with the 

 anterior end always above or outside the posterior end. The larva 

 now snugly fits the bottom of the cell, but the two ends of the larva 

 are still plainly distinguishable. Larva? of this age no longer have 



Fig. 9. — Larva 



of honeybee, 

 old. 



days 



69525°— 2^ 



