What are bee antennae for?
The antennas of bees are an underrated but very important element for these animals. They possess essential receptors for the life of bees .
Owning the antennae gives these insects all the skills they need to survive. It can be said that without the antennas the bees would not be able to do anything from the flight motion to the orientation.
Using antennas
Antennas can be defined as the most important organ of bees. While this leaves us surprised, the reality is just as follows. Bees are able to use most of their senses thanks to their antennae. The latter have an "L" shape and are facing downwards. The sensors inside these two small protuberances are truly innumerable. It is not just about orientation but also about other specific receptors such as those relating to temperature, humidity and much more.
Antennas have the ability to detect polarized light. It seems nothing but we just think that bees orient themselves thanks to the position of the sun. Also detecting polarized light allows them to understand which side the sun's rays come from even in cases of reduced visibility and cloudy weather.
The amazing thing is that an infinite number of senses and perceptions are concentrated inside these small structures such as antennas . They act as ears, nostrils and are able to detect crazy information such as the presence of carbon dioxide in the air, electricity and vibrations. In short, a bee without antennae can almost no longer call itself a bee.
Structure of the antennas
The antennae of a bee are always and only 2. Each antenna is divided into three articulated parts: the scape, the pedicel and the flagellum. They are able to move in a very practical way almost comparable to the movement of our fingers. Thanks to the movement of the antennas, it is also possible to feel all the surfaces or objects that the bee needs to analyze. Antennas continuously collect information and are also very useful for communicating with other members of the swarm. The antennas are also very useful even in dark circumstances. In the darkness of the hive, it is through touch that bees are able to build the incredibly precise hexagons of the cells.
What is antennae
For communication with their peers, we know that bees use a lot of pheromones , particular olfactory hormones capable of providing information. Obviously it is thanks to the antennas that the bees identify them, but there is also a language made up of taps and vibrations called antennamento .
General morphology of bees
The body of bees basically divides into three different parts:
- Head: it has a flattened capsule shape. Here reside elements such as the antennae, eyes and eyelets and the mouthparts inside which we find the presence of a sort of "trunk" that the bee uses to collect nectar. In males this structure appears much shorter. For this reason, the drones are fed exclusively by worker bees as they are unable to collect pollen and nectar on their own.
- Thorax: in this band we find the legs that are six and the wings. Although at first glance they may seem like only two, the wings are actually two pairs, therefore four. It is thanks to their movement that the bees produce the typical buzz that distinguishes them and are able to move quickly and precisely.
- Abdomen: it is represented by the final part of the body of a bee within which the sting is located. The abdomen allows you to easily recognize the sex of a bee since that of females has a classic V shape and ends with the sting while that of drones ends more clearly with a straight shape. The explanation is that the drones do not possess any sting as it is a uniquely female element.
Eyes of bees
bee eyes , like antennae, are another very interesting element. Did you know that a bee has 5 eyes? In fact, we find two main visual organs located on either side of the head, called compound eyes . They consist of thousands of ommatidia each containing nine photoreceptors, externally protected by tiny hexagonal shaped corneas. They are used for the vision of near and far objects. In addition to these, bees also have three simple eyes called ocelli. These are smaller and are located at the top of the head triangularly arranged on the forehead and appear to be used for close vision and compound eye stimulation, they are small and alone do not give a clear and sharp image.
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