. Circular. Insect pests; Insect pests. MANIPULATION OF WAX SCALES OF THE IIOXEY BEE. THE WAX-rUCDlC IX(i ORGANS. The way in which the wax scales are formed, as secretion products arising from the surfaces of the wax plates on the ventral side of the abdomen of the workers, has been well described by others and with apparent accuracy. The accounts of Dreyling embody the results of a very considerable amount of work, and will, for the present, at least, be taken at their full value. The work of Snod- grass ^ upon the anatomy of the wax plates and wax glands may be relied upon. Onl}^ a brief sta
. Circular. Insect pests; Insect pests. MANIPULATION OF WAX SCALES OF THE IIOXEY BEE. THE WAX-rUCDlC IX(i ORGANS. The way in which the wax scales are formed, as secretion products arising from the surfaces of the wax plates on the ventral side of the abdomen of the workers, has been well described by others and with apparent accuracy. The accounts of Dreyling embody the results of a very considerable amount of work, and will, for the present, at least, be taken at their full value. The work of Snod- grass ^ upon the anatomy of the wax plates and wax glands may be relied upon. Onl}^ a brief statement will here be given of the struc- ture of these organs and of the manner in which the scales are formed. As is well known, wax is produced by the worker bees only. The location of the ^wax-secreting sur- faces, or wax plates, may be readily determined by an examination of the ventral surface of a bee's abdomen. By stretching the abdomen somewhat it will be seen that each of the last four visible sternal or ventral plates is divided into two regions: A pos- terior projecting edge which is dis- tinctly hairy, and a smooth anterior half which is usually, covered by the next preceding plate. This anterior region is divided by a median ridge into two distinct, irregularly oval areas, which thus lie on either side of the midventral line. These areas are the wax plates, and upon them the wax scales are formed. Each one of the last four sternal plates bears two wax plates, making eight in all. (See fig. 1.) The glands which secrete the wax lie on the floor of the abdomen im- mediately above and in contact with the wax plates, and their secretion is deposited upon the external surfaces of the plates, exud- ing through the many minute pores which perforate the plates. Upon coming in contact with the air the fluid wax hardens, forming a cov- ering over the entire outer surface of the plate, which gradually in- creases in thickness with the continued addition of wax through the pores
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectinsectp, bookyear1904
