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Project Noah Nature School
Apis mellifera Linnaeus
Honey bees are somewhat variable in color but are some shade of black, brown or brown intermixed with yellow. They have dense hairs on the pronotum and sparser hair on the abdomen. Microscopically, at least some of the body hairs of bees (Apoidea) are branched (pumose). The abdomen often appears banded. Larvae are legless grubs, white in color.
Honey bee workers visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar. During transport to the hive, pollen is held in a structure on each hind leg called the "pollen basket" and nectar is carried in a structure in the front part of the digestive system, called the "honey sac." They return to the hive, which may be provided by man or located in a hollow tree, wall void, or some other sheltered habitat. Pollen is stored in the cells of the comb within the hive.
Honey bee spotted on a blooming hardy rosemary bush, (Rosmarinus officinalis)
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