How Many Legs Do Bees Have?
Bees have 3 pairs of legs or 6 legs in total. These legs are attached to the thorax, the middle segment of their bodies. They use these legs for walking, grooming, and collecting pollen. All in all, they allow bees to perform tasks necessary for survival.
In this article, we’ll learn more about bee legs as we discuss the following:
- Do all bees have 6 legs?
- Bee leg anatomy
- Functions of bee legs
- What happens when a bee loses its legs
Do All Bees Have 6 Legs?
Outside of injuries or mutations, all bees should have 6 legs. Bees are insects. They have 3 pairs of jointed legs attached to the thorax. They have 2 forelegs, 2 midlegs, and 2 hindlegs.
What Are the Parts of a Bee Leg? Bee Leg Anatomy
The bee leg consists of 5 main divisions. These divisions are as follows:
Coxa
The coxa is the 1st segment of the bee leg. This segment is directly attached to the thorax and connects the rest of the leg to the body. The coxa of the foreleg is the procoxa, mesocoxa for the midlegs, and finally metacoxa for the hind legs.
The coxa serves as the pivot point for the leg, allowing for movement in different directions.
It hinges the leg in a specific direction based on its position. The forelegs point forward, the midlegs angle slightly backward, and the hindlegs are directed towards the back.
Trochanter
The next and 2nd segment of the bee leg is the trochanter. This is a small segment between the coxa and the femur. Similar to coxa, the trochanters of the different legs are termed pro, meso, and meta from front to back.
Femur
The femur is the 3rd segment of the bee leg. It’s connected to the trochanter and is followed by the tibia. It’s one of the largest and strongest of all 5 segments. The femur of the foreleg is the profemur, the mesofemur for the midlegs, and finally metafemur for the hindlegs.
Tibia
The tibia is the 4th segment of the bee leg. It follows the femur and is followed by the last segment called the tarsus. Along with the femur, the tibia is one of the larger segments of the leg.
The tibia of the hindlegs differ in size from the other legs. It contains the pollen basket which bees use to collect and hold pollen.
Tarsus
The tarsus is the fight and last segment of the bee leg. It consists of five subsegments called tarsomeres. These tarsomeres include the basitarsus and the pretarsus.
The basitarsus is the first subsegment which connects the rest of the tarsus to the tibia. On the other hand, the pretarsus is the final segment of the tarsus and the whole leg.
As a whole, the tarsus is referred to as the foot. It contains claws and an adhesive pad that bees use to grab or cling to objects. It also contains taste receptors that react to sugars, salts, proteins, and water. These taste receptors are important for identifying profitable food and water sources. [1]
What Do Bees Use Their Legs For?
Bees use their legs for a lot of things including the following:
Walking
When bees aren’t flying, they use their legs to walk. In fact, while we usually see bees airborne, they actually walk often. For instance, they walk around plants to collect pollen and inside their hives to build honeycombs.
Flying
Bee legs are also important for flying. They keep bees balanced during flights and prevent them from rolling over. They’re also important for aerial agility, they help bees maneuver their bodies in the air. Lastly, they also help generate lift and speed.
Pollen Collection
Bees rely on their hindlegs to brush, collect, and transport pollen. These legs may contain hairs and pollen baskets where they store pollen after collection.
Tasting
As mentioned, the tarsus of bee legs contain taste receptors. They use these receptors to identify food sources and identifying colony members.
Hearing
Bees use their legs to hear. The tibia of their legs contain the subgenual organ which detects substrate-borne vibrations. This organ transmits these vibrations to the central nervous system as nerve impulses.
Grooming
Bees also use their legs for grooming. Their legs contain hairs which they use as a brush to remove dirt and debris from their bodies. For instance, they use their legs to remove pollen and move them to the pollen baskets.
Their forelegs also contain a special structure used to clean the antennae. This structure is called the strigilis, a comb-like structure inside a curved notch. [2]
Grabbing or Grasping Objects
Lastly, bees use their legs to grab onto objects. They, for example, grab and shake flowers to release pollen. They also use their legs to carry hive-building materials or to defend themselves from pests.
What Happens When a Bee Loses Its Legs?
It will depend on which leg or legs they lose. Those who lose their forelegs are less likely to survive. Without forelegs, they’ll fail to clean themselves and become more susceptible to infections.
In any case, the loss of any legs will negatively affect how bees perform their vital functions. For instance, bees that lose their hindlegs become less effective pollinators.
Can Bee Legs Grow Back?
No, bee legs can’t grow back. Bees undergo complete metamorphosis. They can’t molt as adults to regrow lost limbs.
Related Questions
Do Bees Have Knees?
Yes, bees do have knees. Their knees are the joints in their legs between the tibia and femur. See this article to learn more about bee knees.
Do Bees Have Toes?
No, bees don’t have toes. What they do have are claws at the end of the tarsus or foot. They use these claws to grip objects and surfaces and to taste and communicate.
What is a Pollen Basket?
The pollen basket or corbicula (plural corbiculae), is an arrangement of hairs found on the tibia of the hind legs of some bees. It’s used for harvesting and efficiently carrying pollen until it gets taken back to the hive.
Summary: How Many Legs Do Bees Have?
To summarize, bees have 6 legs. They have 3 pairs of legs connected to the thorax. These pairs are called forelegs, midlegs, and hindlegs from front to back.
