136 
Beekeeping 
The typical mandible of the 
Hymenoptera is like those of 
the queen and drone while the 
worker mandible is a specialized 
type. The fact that the worker 
mandible is smooth and rounded 
is often pointed out in connec¬ 
tion with the fact that worker 
bees cannot puncture fruit. It 
need scarcely be said that queens 
and drones never injure fruit. 
The mandibles are moved by 
two sets of muscles (Fig. 70, A, 
EMcl and RMcl ) with their origin 
in the head. On each mandi¬ 
ble is the opening of a gland 
(lMdGl), located in the head 
(Fig. 69, A, B ; Fig. 70, A, B ), 
which is a large sac in the 
worker (Fig. 70, A) but is reduced in the drone (Fig. 70, 
B). In the queen (Fig. 69, B) it reaches its greatest size. 
It was originally described by 
Wolff 1 as a mucous gland which 
serves to keep the surface of the 
roof of the mouth moist, where 
he thought the olfactory organs 
are located. The function of 
this gland is not clear, but it is 
supposed by Arnhart 2 * 4 to func¬ 
tion in softening wax. This 
theory rests on the assumption Flo . 71 ._ internal mandibular 
made by Cheshire and others gland ( SMdGl ) of worker. 
1 Wolff, O. J. B., 1875. Das Riechorgan der Biene. Nova Acta der Ksl. 
Leop.-Carol. Deutseh. Akad. der Naturf., XXXVIII, pp. 1-251. 
1 Arnhart, Ludwig, 1906. Anatomie und Physiologic der Honigbiene. 
In Alfonsus’ “Allgcmeines Lehrbuch der Bieucnzueht,” Wien. (99 pp., 
4 pis., 53 figs.). 
Fio. 70. — A, right mandible 
of worker with muscles and 
mandibular gland ( lMdGl ) 
attached ; B, corresponding 
view of mandible of drone 
with muscles cut off. 
