HONEY BEE
Microscopic silk present on the exoskeleton (cuticle) of the honey bee, SEM. This scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicted the magnified surface of a Western honey bees, Apis mellifera, exoskeletal surface, revealing the multitude of small setae, or sensorial hairs invisible to the unaided eye. These setae detect changes in wind speed and direction, as well as thermal and chemical differences in the bees environment, and are integral in the insects pollen collecting activities; Magnified 185x. Honey bees are members of the Order Hymenoptera, and there are approximately 20,000 known species of bees, four of which are known as honey bees. These setae are not really true hairs like the analogous structures found on the skin of mammals, but are extensions of the exoskeletal surface made up of chitin, which is a very hard, linear homopolymer that as a result, is very protective, supportive, and durable. Note the debris caught amongst the small hairs, which is primarily made up of vegetative matter, including pollen granules.
Size: 3630px × 2689px
Photo credit: © CDC/ JANICE CARR / BSIP / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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