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Department of Entomology BZU Multan Pakistan

External Morphology of Bumblebee

Muhammad SalmanRoll No 34-E

Bumble Bee

Bumblebees are large, hairy social insects.

There are over 250 known species.

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Apidae

Genus: Bombus

External Morphology of Bumblebee

Head

Antennae

Geniculate or elbow shaped antennae.

Antennae

Antennae

Mouthparts

Mouthparts are chewing-lapping.

The bumblebee has a long, reddish-coloured tongue that is hairy at the end so is good for soaking up nectar

Mouthparts

Mouthparts

Mouthparts

Mouthparts

Eyes

Bumblebee has Two compound Eyes & Three Simple eyes (Oceli).

Eyes

OceliCompound Eye Compound Eye

External Morphology of Bumblebee

Thorax

Wings

Two Pair of wings.

All wings are membranous.

Hind wings are small and usually attached to the front wings by a row of hooks called hamuli.

WingsFore Wing

Hind Wing

Wings

Wings

Wings

Legs

Fore leg

Meso legMeta leg

Proleg

Proleg is antenna cleaner leg.

Metaleg

Metaleg is pollen collecting leg.

Pollen Collecting Leg

Pollen Basket on Metaleg

Pollen Basket

Pollen Basket on Metaleg

Mesoleg

Just helps in walking no modification.

External Morphology of Bumblebee

Abdomen

Abdomen

Females have 6 segments and males have 7.

Sting (Queen, Workers)

Genital Capsule in Males.

Sting

Workers and Queens have Sting.

And their sting is not barbed like that of the honeybee, so they can sting more than once.

Honey bee dies after she has stung a human but Bumblebee not die.

Sting

Sting

Genital Capsule

Male bumblebees have no sting.

In males the part of the body that becomes the sting in females becomes the genital capsule in males, so is used in mating.

Genital Capsule

References Anonymous, Bumblebee, 2013,

http://www.bumblebee.org/index.html Anonymous, Bumblebee Morphology, 2013,

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=bumblebee Anonymous, bumblebee, 2013,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee Borror, Bumblebee, 2013,

https://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg340.html

Adrian D.Thysse, Red-belted Bumblebee, 2013, http://bugs.adrianthysse.com/2011/05/red-belted-bumblebee/

Thank You

Good Bye

Bumblebee Dress