I am having trouble answering the second part of this question on the study guide for the certified bee exam : "What are the four stages of honey bee development and What is the purpose of each stage?" 1. Egg - 2. Larva - 3. Pupa - 4. Adult -
Anybody know the answer?
hsserenity Joined: 02/15/09 Posts: 3
RE: Certified Bee exam question
02/09/10 6:24 PM
For whatever it's worth. Here's what I have. I didn't really understand what they meant by purpose.
•What are the four stages of honey bee development? How are they different? What is the purpose of each stage?
1. EGG – queen lays an egg in each cell egg. On the 3rd day the eggshell, or chorion, dissolves and releases a tiny larva. 2. LARVA – Goes through 5 instars in six days curled in the cell. Day 3 - Workers-to-be get a downgraded in quantity and protein content in food. Queens are larger larvae; whereas the smaller worker larvae fit into the horizontal cells of the brood nest. Queen stage is 5.5 days; Worker 6 days; Drone 6.5 days. 3. PUPA – Larva stands upright, stops eating, voids their digestive systems into the bottom of the cell, and prepares to spin their cocoons. House bees cover the cells with a mixture of beeswax and Propolis. This is the time that female varroa mites enter the cells to parasitize the larvae. Queen stage is 7.5 days; Worker is 12 days; and Drone 14/5 days. 4. ADULT – The bee completes the final stages into adulthood; eyes develop color. Queen stage is 16 days; Worker 21 days; Drone 24 days
Know you are loved, Lady
LetItBee Joined: 02/15/09 Posts: 8
RE: Certified Bee exam question
02/09/10 8:30 PM
Thanks! I was confused by " purpose" too. That is why I finally posted it to make sure I wasn't missing anything! You rock! Thanks for your wisdom!
newbeeboy Joined: 03/28/07 Posts: 84
RE: Certified Bee exam question
02/10/10 2:56 PM
Just relax. Don't "over think" the question. The main point is that the bee undergoes a complete metamorphosis by transitioning through these stages. It is good to know that depending on what an egg is fed or what size cell it is laid in will determine certain characteristics of the adult. It is good to know that larvae are capped at certain times, different for queens and workers verses drones. during the larval stage they experience rapid growth, but take on a more mature form in the pupal phase.
