Hymenoptera

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Bee flying with outstretched trunk – While entering a Campanula medium, national flower of the Principality of Monaco – Bee covered by pollen – Pollination: the stamens of the labiate bend upon the entrance of the bee, pollinating the same on the back

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Honey-comb on a small frame with honey, pollen and larvae

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Building of a honey-comb – Bees while forming a “chain” for the construction of the honey-comb – Eggs: at the centre, upwards, one egg in vertical position, just laid. On the sides, two older ones in horizontal position. On the right, downwards, an egg is transforming in a larva. – Honey-comb with cell of queen bee – Larva of queen bee in the cell

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Drone on the honey-comb – Queen bee, with its court of worker bees, on a honey-comb

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Queen bee coloured in blue by the apiarist (each year holds a different colour: blue means that the year ends with 5 or 0, white, with 1 or 6, yellow, with 2 or 7, red, with 3 or 8, green, with 4 or 9) while laying eggs well visible in the fifth photo – Trophallaxis: the queen bee is nourished “mouth-to-mouth” by a worker bee

© Giuseppe Mazza