
A Honeybee’s Tongue Is More Swiss Army Knife Than Ladle - pseudolus
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/science/honeybees-drink-video.html
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legerdemain
If you're asking yourself the question of how do a honeybee's mouthparts even
work, here is a narrated video[1] and yes, insect mouths seem to have
tremendously complicated morphology, considering that everything that hangs
off an insect is basically a modified leg.

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql0OyLXeRuQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql0OyLXeRuQ)

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anitil
> considering that everything that hangs off an insect is basically a modified
> leg

That is the sort of tantalizing comment I can't ignore. for someone with
essentially no background in biology or evolutionary history outside of
youtube - what do you mean? Would you include wings and antennae in this?

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legerdemain
Insect antennae, various mouthparts (mandibles, maxillae, etc.), and posterior
pointy bits (cerci) are, in embryological development, modified legs. The
primordial insect bodyplan is a tube segmented into 10-11 parts, each of which
carries a pair of legs. In existing insects, segments may have fused and their
legs may be highly specialized. The insect head, for example, is the first
several segments fused together. Insect embryology is a source of endless
entertainment.[1]

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropod_head_problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropod_head_problem)

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anitil
What a strange world we live in. Thanks so much

