The Bee Body - Anatomy, Body Parts And Their Functions


If you'd like to know about a bee's antennae, whether bee's have a heart or lungs, or learn about the amazing eyes of the bee, you've come to the right place!

External Anatomy Of A Bee And Common Questions

honeybeeanatomygraphic.jpg

Overview Of Bee Anatomy
A labelled diagram and brief description of the external body parts of a bee.

Apis mellifera drone honey bee, side view

Exoskeleton
The exoskeleton is like the outer armor of a bee (imagine a knight's armor!).  

Bee antennae labelled image showing scape, pedicel and flagellum

Antennae
Illustrations, description and the different functions of antennae

honey bee wings pencil drawing

Wings
A description and labelled drawing of the wings of a bee, and remarkable facts.

honey bees have hairy eyes Photograph, with thanks to Isaias Sanchez

Eyes
As scientist, Lars Chittka notes bees have  300o vision, and their eyes process information faster than the eyes of humans!

macro shot of the face of a bee

Bee Faces
The parts of a bee face, and what can they tell you about a bee.

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Hair
A look at the hairy (or not so hairy) body of bees, and the special properties of bee hair!

middle leg of a honey bee, anatomical sketch

Legs
They're not just for running and walking, the legs of bees have amazing adaptations for performing other distinct tasks.

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Mandibles / Teeth
A look at how bees use their mandibles.

tongue and head of the honey bee - Apis mellifera drawing illustration

Tongue
The parts of the tongue and different lengths.

Common questions:

Macroshot of the head and face of spined mason bee, Osmia spinulosa

Do Bees Have Ears?
An explanation of how bees pick up sounds.

The Internal Workings Of The Body Of The Bee, And Common Questions

brain of a bee - what does a bee brain look like

The Brain
Here's what it looks like, and how big it is.

do bees have a central nervous system? central nervous system of the honey bee

Central Nervous System
Illustrated diagram and description of the central nervous system of a bee.

Macro shot of a male spined mason bee, Osmia spinulosa, side view

Hearts
Yes, technically bees have a heart!  Here's how it works.

digestive system of a bee alimentary canal

Digestive system
The parts of the digestive system of the bee.

Buff-tailed mining bee, Andrena humilis male with conspicuous 'moustache' facial hair

Endocrine system
A description of the endocrine system in bees, and its function.

Common questions:

Red girdled mining bee Andrena labiata male, side view

Do Bees Have Lungs?
And how do bees breathe?