Metamorphosis or Developement of Honey
Bees
The paragraphs that follow that deal with insect
developement in general terms, are due to David H. Headrick. The
details that deal specifically with honey bees have been added by
myself. This page is a general one and it will be followed at some
time in the future with a page that deals with each individual day
in the entire life of honey bee individuals, from the perspective of
workers, drones and queens. I hope to also include variations due to
race in this detailed analysis.
The eggs of Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) are laid in
specially constructed cells. The eggshells of these social insects
are not thick, elaborately sculptured or unusually shaped because
they are protected by the cell itself.
Most insects change in form during post-embryonic
development - this change is called metamorphosis.
Simple metamorphosis is a gradual change with egg - nymph
- and adult stages. The nymphs are usually similar in appearance to
the adults. Entomologists recognize three types of simple
metamorphosis Ametabolous, paurometabolous and hemimetabolous.
Ametabolous insects are typically primitive, wingless as
adults and the only obvious difference between nymphs and adults is
size. This type of development occurs in the apterygote orders
Protura, Collembola, Diplura, Microcoryphia, and Thysanura.
In hemimetabolous metamorphosis (incomplete) the nymphs are
aquatic and use gills for breathing and differ considerably from the
adults in appearance. This type of development occurs in the
Ephemeroptera, Odonata, and Plecoptera. They young of these insects
are also called naiads.
Paurometabolous insects (Gradual) include the remaing
insects with simple metamorphosis as listed later. One example is
hemipterans The adults are winged, the nymphs and adults live in the
same habitat, and the principle changes during growth are in size,
body proportions, the development of ocelli, and wings.
Complete metamorphosis is what we are most familiar with
- it is refered to as holometabolous. The larva and adult are very
different in structure, and often in habitat and feeding modes - but
they are the same individual! The thought is that this cuts down on
the competition between adults and their offspring for resources.
The larve are often worm like with chewing mouthparts, the wings and
compound eyes form internally in special groups of cells but don’t
express their full development until the adult features begin to
develop during pupation. Pupation follows the last larval instar and
often occurs in a protective material. Pupae do not feed. Most feeding
takes place during the larval stages - adults may feed but they do
not grow and have no further moulting. Adults often emerge from the
pupal stage as soft and pale and require time to expand their wings
and for the exoskeleton to harden.
In the case of honey bees there is further developement in
the maturation and subsequent attrification of various glands.
Behavioral changes also occur occur with ageing but the demarcation
between these behaviours becomes blurred with some insects able to
perform multifunctions or to switch between functions.
Revised... 18 June 2001
