- Like all insects, the body of a bee is divided into three sections--the head, thorax and abdomen.
- A bee's head houses its compound eyes, used for detecting variations in light and dark, and its antennae, which function as a means of communication with other bees. The bee takes in food through its mouth, using its two large mandibles or jaws.
- The thorax is the middle segment of the bee, where its six legs and two wings are attached. The legs of a bee are covered with branched hairs used for collecting pollen from the surface of a plant or flower.
- The abdomen houses the digestive, excretory and reproductive systems of the bee. The bee uses these systems to convert its food into energy, emit specialized pheromones to attract other bees and to produce or fertilize eggs that hatch into offspring.
- Despite popular belief, the University of Kentucky Department of Entymology reports that not all bees have stingers. Stingers appear at the back of a bee's abdomen, usually in females rather than males.
