Student Glossary Abdomen—the rear body region of Exoskeleton—the hard outer Polygon—a closed figure bound by a honey bee composed of nine covering which forms a bee’s body. three or more sides. segments and containing many organs Guard bees—the bees that guard Proboscis or tongue—a straw- including those for digestion, the hive entrance. like structure used for sucking nectar reproduction, and respiration. Head—the forward body region of or honey. Adult—a fully formed, mature the honey bee’s three sections that Propolis—a resin-like material honey bee. contains the compound eyes, simple collected from trees by bees. Used to Antenna(e)—the moveable, eyes, antennae, mandibles, and construct and seal parts in the sensitive feelers on an insect’s head proboscis. beehive and protect the hive from the which detect odor and movement. Hexagon—a polygon having six elements. Bee dances—a way honey bees sides and six angles. Pupa—the third stage in a bee’s life, communicate to find nectar sources. Hive—a home to a colony of bees. during which the larva’s body changes to an adult. Bee metamorphosis—the four Hive scent—all the worker bees of stages of transformation in the life of a a colony produce a scent that is Queen—a female bee that lays eggs. honey bee. characteristic of their colony and is Royal jelly—a milky, yellow syrup Beebread—a mixture of nectar recognized by all the members. that is very high in protein, that young and pollen. Honey sac—the stomach-like organ worker bees secrete from glands Beeswax—substance secreted from that is connected by a funnel shaped inside their heads and feed to larvae. glands located on the underside of the valve to the digestive tract.The nectar Scent gland—found at the tip of worker bee’s abdomen. stored here will be unloaded into the abdomen of worker bees and Brood—the offspring produced by empty hive cells or passed on to produces a scent characteristic of the colony (eggs and larvae). house bees for food. that particular colony. Brood cells—cells that house Honeycomb—six-sided wax cells Stinger—found in a chamber at the developing bees. in a beehive. end of the abdomen (in female honey Larva—hatched from the egg the bees only) and is used to defend Cell—a hexagonal wax chamber built against intruders. of beeswax for brood rearing and queen bee lays, the larva will pupate storage of honey and pollen. and eventually turn into an adult Thorax—the middle section of the insect. honey bee’s three sections that Cocoon—the silk chamber a larva Legs—a honey bee has three pairs of contains the flight muscles, the wings, spins around itself just prior to the and six legs. pupal stage of development. segmented legs used not only for walking but also to dust off antennae, Wax—the substance excreted from Colony—a group of honey bees brush pollen out of the thousands of the glands located on the underside living together. branched hairs that cover the body, of a worker bee’s abdomen. Comb—a structure made up of and to store pollen. Wax gland(s)—four pairs of glands hexagonal wax cells. Mandible—located on either side of that are specialized parts of the body Compound eye—an eye made up the honey bee’s head, these jaw-like wall. During the wax-forming period of thousands of tiny lenses that allow structures are used to chew honey in the life of a worker, they become a honey bee to see ultraviolet light, and pollen, and to knead wax. greatly thickened and take on a which is invisible to the human eye, as Mate—to join together as male and glandular structure. well as visible light (except red). female to produce young. Wing(s)—the honey bee’s back Dehydration—the removal of Midgut or ventriculus—the has two sets of flat, thin, water from a substance. stomach section in the abdomen body structures that allow which digests food. it to fly.The forewings are Diameter—the length of a straight- larger than the hind wings. line segment through the center of a Nectar—a sweet liquid secreted by sphere. flowers of various plants. Worker—the female bee that performs all the jobs, Drone—a male honey bee that is Ocellus—simple eye with a thick both inside and outside produced from an unfertilized egg. lens that can sense changes in the the hive, necessary for the Drone cell—a brood cell that is brightness of daylight. survival of the colony. larger than the normal worker brood Pollen—the fine, powder-like cells and in which the queen deposits material produced by flowering drone eggs. plants. Egg—laid by a queen bee, this is the Pollen basket—an area on the first stage in the life of a honey bee. hind legs of honey bees used to transport pollen.