Question

Wax glands in honey bee present on
(A) 4 to 7 abdominal sterna
(B) 4 to 7 abdominal terga
(C) 4 to 7 abdominal pleura
(D) 8 to 11 abdominal sterna
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. (C), (B) and (D) only
• B. (A) only
• C. (D) only
• D. (B) and (D) only

Hint:

Remember two key anatomical facts about honeybee wax glands: 1. They are located on the ventral surface (sterna), not the dorsal surface (terga).
2. They are found on abdominal segments 4 to 7.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Honeybee workers possess specialized glands to secrete beeswax, which is used to construct combs within the hive.
These glands are modified epidermal cells that are active during a specific stage of the worker's life (usually between 12 and 18 days of age).
Detailed Explanation:
The wax-secreting glands of worker honeybees (Apis mellifera) are located on the ventral side of the abdomen.
The ventral plates of the insect abdomen are called sterna.
Specifically, there are four pairs of wax glands located on the anterior parts of the abdominal sterna of segments 4, 5, 6, and 7 (anatomically, these correspond to segments 4 to 7).
Liquid wax is secreted by these glands, which then passes through tiny pores on the sterna and solidifies into small wax scales upon contact with the air.
The bees then scrape these scales off using their hind legs and masticate them with their mandibles to build comb cells.
Therefore, only statement (A) is correct.

Step 2: Final Answer:
The wax glands are located on the 4 to 7 abdominal sterna, corresponding to (A) only (option 2).