Today’s letter V is for Venation. Venation is an arrangement or system of veins, such as in leaves or insect wings. This is heavily used for species identification, as the wing patterns of different species are rather distinctive. The University of Florida has a great article
Today’s letter V is for Venation. Venation is an arrangement or system of veins, such as in leaves or insect wings. This is heavily used for species identification, as the wing patterns of different species are rather distinctive. The University of Florida has a great article on the Halictidae family of bees that includes close-up images of wing venation.
It turns out V is a pretty rich letter for honey bees: from Varroa to Venom, not to mention Vespid (wasps) or generic terms like Vector or Ventral. I thought venation was new and difference and probably a good word to share. Honey bees, it turns out, have a very distinct venation in the marginal cell of their wing, as this picture from a Honey Bee Suite article shows.
Next time you are looking at a honey bee, look for this curved pattern in their wings.
May you prosper and find honey.
Bees with eeb 
Still searching for a good “W” that is not “water” or “wings”? Or has life just intruded?
We have been “gone” since February and probably shan’t be posting frequently any time soon.
LikeLike
Yes, life has been busy. We moved this summer, which involved moving the bees to a new location as well. Just haven’t gotten back to it Nice to see your recent post.
Erik
LikeLike
Did you move three feet or three miles? Autopilot on a commute can cause confusion otherwise. 8)
We hope you, your family, and your bees all enjoy their new home.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was meant as reply to your reply about moving. WordPress will no doubt claim it was pilot error. Sigh.
LikeLike
They are about 5 miles from their former apiary. So all good.
LikeLike