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3 Honey Bee Anatomy
Cynthia M. Faux
College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Arizona, Oro Valley, AZ, USA
* Illustrations by Patrick D. Wilson
Introduction
In veterinary school, insects are primarily studied as pests, parasites, and vectors of disease. However, in the honey bee we have both a patient and an agricultural partner. Veterinarians are used to dealing with differences among species, but with the honey bee there are both great similarities and vast contrasts between the bee and the more familiar veterinary patients. A working knowledge of honey bee anatomy and terminology will better equip the veterinarian to understand the clinically relevant physiology and pathologies of the honey bee and to communicate effectively with beekeepers.
Honey bees belong to the order Hymenoptera, a large clade that includes other bees as well as wasps, ants, and sawflies. Among other features, the group is distinguished by having tiny hooklets or “hamuli” on the leading edge of the back or hind wings which serve to secure the hind wings to the front wings so that the wing pairs function as a unit (Snodgrass et al. 2015; Vidal‐Naquet 2015) (Figure