Warriors of Jatai bees

Researchers at the University of Sussex, England discovered in colonies Jatai bees with soldier bees. This is the first study of soldier bees published in PNAS.

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In the social organization of ants, termites, and other insects with formal assignment, in bees it is quite obvious.

Professor Francis Ratnieks said: "Worker bees perform different tasks at different times. Initially they make nests, feed the larvae . then look for food and even protect the nest. ".

While most wounded soldiers guard their nest for a day, the Jatai soldier bee performs that task for a week - a long time for the insect's life cycle.

To understand this, researchers observed a honeycomb on a farm in Fazenda Aretuzina, Brazil.

Professor Ratnieks explained: they used paint to mark the bee soldiers hovering near the nest, after a while, they brought these bees back to the lab for testing.

They found that Jatai bee bees not only do other work, but also have a size 30% larger than worker bees. In it, their legs are big and can be used for fighting purposes.

Professor Ratnieks and his colleagues believe that Jatai bee bees appear to be due to the evolution of this species against the dangerous enemy - bee stalk (Lestrimelitta limao) .

Robberies often infiltrate other beehives to steal food stored in it. They are larger than Jatai bees so they can attack and destroy the territory of Jatai bees.

Scientists have tested the combat ability of soldier soldiers. They let robberies infiltrate the Jatai honeycomb and monitor the reaction of the bee bee - smaller in size. They use jaws on the wings of the robbery to control the attack from the enemy. But in the end they failed and died.

Professor Ratnieks concluded: "These bees seem to" sacrifice themselves "to protect the colonies. They deserve to represent high-society insects."