Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Honey bees are social insects with a highly organized division of labor (polyethism) among the female worker bees, based on age and physiological development.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In a honey bee colony, worker bees perform different tasks as they age:
1. Cleaner bees: Young workers (1--3 days old) whose primary task is cleaning cells within the brood comb.
2. Nurse bees Attendants: Workers (6--12 days old) with developed hypopharyngeal glands that produce royal jelly.
A specialized group of these workers forms the retinue around the queen.
These "retinue bees" groom, feed, and clean the queen, and lick her body to acquire Queen Mandibular Pheromone (QMP).
They then distribute this pheromone throughout the hive via food sharing (trophallaxis), which regulates colony behavior and suppresses worker ovary development.
3. Fanner bees: Older workers that fan their wings to ventilate the hive, control temperature, and disperse pheromones.
4. Guard bees: Workers (18--21 days old) that patrol the hive entrance to defend against intruders.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, the worker bees that attend the queen are retinue bees.