Instead of a bony internal skeleton, adult bees, like all insects, have a firm scaffolding, called an exoskeleton, that encases the outside of their body. The external covering hardens after the bee emerges from the pupa, and it protects the bee from drying out, gives the bee support, and allows for movement. All of the bee's muscles are attached to this exoskeleton, which is jointed but very solid and durable. It is also coated with a thin layer of oily wax, secreted by the bee, which has an odor that is unique to her particular hive. Guard bees use these odors to compare to sensory information from the colony to determine if a bee trying to enter the colony is a nest mate or an intruder.
Bees, like most insects, have four wings, two on each side. Normally, there are two larger forewings positioned in the front of the bee's body and two smaller hind wings toward the rear. When a bee is not flying, the hind wings are folded back under the forewings and it may look as if the bee has only two wings. Other insects actually only have two wings, so the four-wing design is not essential for flight.
With rare exceptions, such as the male desert bee Perdita portalis, which has atrophied flight muscles and does not fly, bees are hardy fliers with large flight muscles and excellent maneuverability. Insect wings don't simply flap up and down, but rather the tips of the wings move in an oval pattern and turn over during each stroke. When the wing travels downward, the topside faces up, and then the wing rotates on an axis before the upstroke, creating a large amount of lift. The two types of wings can be hooked together during liftoff for flight when higher power is required.
A bee has two antennae, sometimes called feelers, and the name "feelers" describes what these appendages do for bees. Each antenna is a major source of environmental information, with sensors that detect odors and function as giant external noses. Other antennal sensors are mechanosensors that detect wind direction and pressure waves, including vibrations, and they help the bees stay attuned to their body position in the environment. Using a microscope to examine the honey bee antenna reveals the complexity of these sensors.
Like all insects, honey bees have three pairs of segmented legs. There are antennae cleaners on the forelegs and hairy "pollen baskets" on the hind legs. At the end of each leg are small hooks, called tarsal claws, that allow the bee to hold onto some slippery surfaces. The center part of the foot, between the tarsal claws, contains a structure called the arolium. According to famed honey bee anatomist H. A. Dade, this pad-like area essentially acts like a small suction cup to help the bee adhere to a slick surface when the claws cannot grip the substrate. There is also a tarsal gland that is covered with a thin, sac-like fold that forms a reservoir, and it probably fills and unfolds when the bee walks, also helping it to grip smooth or slippery surfaces.
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