Abstract
The stinger is a very small and efficient device that allows honeybees to perform two main physiological activities: repelling enemies and laying eggs for reproduction. In this study, we explored the specific characteristics of stinger penetration, where we focused on its movements and the effects of it microstructure. The stingers of Italian honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) were grouped and fixed onto four types of cubic substrates, before pressing into different substrates. The morphological characteristics of the stinger cross-sections were analyzed before and after penetration by microscopy. Our findings suggest that the honeybee stinger undergoes helical and clockwise rotation during penetration. We also found that the helical penetration of the stinger is associated directly with the spiral distribution of the barbs, thereby confirming that stinger penetration involves an advanced microstructure rather than a simple needle-like apparatus. These results provide new insights into the mechanism of honeybee stinger penetration.
Highlights
In variable and complex environments, animals are equipped with different organs for accomplishing diverse physical activities
We averaged the rotation angles for the subgroups A1, A2, A3, and A4 which were collected from the experiments, and calculated the standard deviations of the data in different groups to test the data stability
By comparing the stinger sections before and after penetration, we found that the mean rotation angles of the 20 samples were all negative, which showed that the stingers rotated in a clockwise direction while penetrating the substrates (Fig. 5)
Summary
In variable and complex environments, animals are equipped with different organs for accomplishing diverse physical activities. Various theories have been developed to describe the penetration mechanism of insect stingers and needles [6,7,8,9]. The cavity within the last abdominal segment of the honeybee is called the sting chamber and the entire sting apparatus is enclosed within the chamber when it is not in use, as well as nerve ganglions, various muscles, a venom sac, and the end of the insect’s digestive tract [15,16]. When dangerous enemies are encountered, the sting apparatus receives a signal from the nerve ganglions and the bee bends its abdomen downward due to muscle contractions as it prepares for vertical stinger penetration. The first analysis of the stinger penetration mechanism was performed by Dade in 1890s, the coordination between various organs [14]
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