Honeybees

Queen bees are raised vertically in long cells:

a grafting frame with two bars, with 14 accepted queen cell grafts and 8 rejections

The bees face outward in their cell so they can chew their way out. This bee died in the cell. I’ve removed the side of the cell to show her in situ.

a queen cell partially opened, with a dead queen inside

Here are a few honeybee workers chewing their way out of their cells:

If a hive has been queenless and broodless for several weeks, the ovaries of some of the workers may develop, and they may lay eggs. These are called laying workers. Here is an image of the ovaries of a laying worker. Note that the eggs start small in the tubes, and get larger as they progress down.

the ovaries of a laying worker

The sting of a queen is curved, which she uses to kill other queens.

the curved sting of a queen bee

The sting of a worker is straight.

the straight sting of a worker bee

Wax moth larvae:

Wax moths cover the tops of the honeybee cells with silk

a web of silk covering the top of a few honeybee cells

and leave behind a trail of chewed wax bits and faeces

a trail of wax bits and faeces left behind by a wax moth larva

Here’s a cross section of the proventriculus of a wax moth larva. The proventriculus is a sort of valve that sits between the crop and the ventriculus (stomach).

a cross section of the proventriculus of a wax moth larva

An ant with a mite

The varroa destructor mite is by far the most serious pest or disease afflicting honeybees. Here is a different type of mite attached to the head of a flying ant. Ants, like honeybees, have two large compound eyes on the sides of the head, and three small ocelli in a triangle on the top of the head.

the head of a flying ant with a mite