The life cycle of honeybees (Apis mellifera) consists of several stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Here's a detailed description of each stage:
1. Egg Stage
- *Duration:* About 3 days.
- *Details:* The queen bee lays eggs in individual cells within the honeycomb. Each egg is a tiny, white, cylindrical shape.
2. Larva Stage
- *Duration:* About 6 days.
- *Details:* The egg hatches into a larva, which looks like a small white grub. Worker bees feed the larvae royal jelly for the first few days, and then a mixture of pollen and honey called "bee bread." The larva grows rapidly, molting several times.
3. Pupa Stage
- *Duration:* Approximately 12 days for workers, 14-15 days for drones, and 8 days for queens.
- *Details:* After the larva reaches full size, worker bees cap the cell with wax. Inside, the larva spins a cocoon and transforms into a pupa. During this stage, the larva undergoes metamorphosis, developing adult features such as wings, legs, and antennae.
4. Adult Stage
- *Emergence:* The fully developed bee chews its way out of the wax cap and emerges as an adult.
- *Roles:* The role of the adult bee varies depending on whether it is a worker, drone, or queen.
- *Worker Bees:* Female bees that do not reproduce. They perform various tasks such as foraging, nursing larvae, cleaning the hive, and protecting the colony. Workers have a lifespan of about 6 weeks during active seasons and can live several months in winter.
- *Drones:* Male bees whose primary role is to mate with a virgin queen. They do not forage or participate in hive maintenance. Drones are typically expelled from the hive before winter.
- *Queen Bee:* The sole reproductive female in the colony. She can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day and may live for several years. The queen also produces pheromones that help regulate the behavior and development of other bees in the colony.
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