Scientists from Macquarie University in Australia have captured remarkable high-speed footage showing how a honeybee detaches its stinger after delivering a sting, leaving the barbed end behind to continue pumping venom. This close-up visualization reveals the intricate operation of the bee’s venom delivery system. The footage was filmed at 100 and 300 frames per second and demonstrates how the tiny barbed harpoon penetrates flesh while a pumping mechanism delivers venom.
To conduct their study, the researchers set up an experiment where a honeybee stung a clear gel, which mimicked human skin. This setup allowed them to observe the stinger’s mechanisms for sustained venom release even after the bee had flown away. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Fiorella Ramirez Esquivel, the study’s lead and an entomologist at Macquarie University, noted, “We’ve known since as early as 1910 that the venom sac of a honeybee stinger empties into a chamber with little pumping elements called valves, but until now we didn’t know exactly how they work.” She added, “If you’ve ever been stung by a bee, you’ll know it’s a very painful process, but now we’ve been able to identify all the working parts packed into the tiny stinger.”
The honeybee’s stinger is about 2 millimeters long and features two rows of saw-tooth blades, known as lancets, equipped with outwards-facing barbs similar to those on a harpoon. The lancets move alternately on a rail system, allowing them to grasp flesh and push the stinger deeper into the skin.
A tiny pumping mechanism drives this process, while the venom sac provides a cocktail of chemicals to inject. “The unique geometry of the valves is the key; they act as collapsible pistons and – by pumping in opposite directions – they’re able to deliver a continuous flow of venom,” Ramirez-Esquivel explained. Following the sting, the honeybee typically dies within minutes or hours due to fluid loss and nervous system failure, yet its stinger continues to function autonomously.
Unlike honeybees, wasps, hornets, and bumblebees possess smooth stingers, allowing them to sting multiple times. Worker bees, which are responsible for defending the hive, are the only honeybees with this specialized stinging apparatus, with about 60,000 in each hive devoted to protecting their queen.
The researchers highlighted that their findings regarding the honeybee’s biological mechanisms could have implications for the development of future medical devices, including insulin pumps that utilize similar principles.
