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Bees 
COMMON NAME(S): Honeybee (Hive-bee) SCIENTIFIC NAME: Apis mellifera CLASSIFICATION: Phylum: Arthropoda DESCRIPTION: Length (excluding antennae): Queen average .75 inch RANGE: Worldwide. HABITAT: Bees require nectar-bearing plants, preferring open meadows and orchards near a water source. STATUS: General: Common. DIET: Consists of honey (concentrated nectar) and pollen. Developing queen larvae are fed a nutrient-rich substance called "royal jelly." REPRODUCTION: Queens become sexually mature at about the fifth or sixth day after hatching, drones at about 12 days. A queen may mate with as many as 20 different drones over a period of several days. The queen will go through the mating period only once. The semen is retained and used throughout her life until the supply is exhausted. A queen is capable of laying approximately 2,000 eggs a day for up to six years. LIFE SPAN: Queens live about 6 years. The life span of workers can vary with the season and ranges from about 6 weeks to several months. The life span of the drone can range from about 14 to 19 days. BEHAVIOR: Honeybees live in well-organized colonies. Queens, drones and workers each have their own specializations and social tasks. These tasks can be dictated by diet, sex, age and the presence of certain types of hormones. The queen's primary function is to lay eggs. Worker bees are responsible for hive construction, care of the young and the queen and food gathering. Drones are produced for the sole purpose of mating with the queen. Once they mate, the males die. NAMES: adult male - drone; adult female - queen or worker; baby - larva; group - hive or swarm (in flight) SOURCES: Wabash Collage - Biology 3rd Edition, Johnson, Laubengayer, DeLanney & Cole |
