Figure 2.

Piercing parts of the honeybee stinger

(A) The insertable length (white arrow) is comprised two lancets and a stylet, the former are continuous with the first rami (1r) and the latter articulates with the second ramus of the oblong plate (2r) on either side; note that the accessory plates have been removed.

(B) On a lateral view it is possible to observe the stinger in is retracted configuration nestled among the accessory plates.

(C) Rearward facing barbs of the lancets (magnified area from panel A).

(D) Blunt, deflected tip of the stylet with small stylet barbs, white arrows (magnified area from B).

(E) Venom seeps between the lancets, distally from the bulb but not from the tip of the stinger.

(F) Penetration into tissue or, in this case, artificial substrate is limited by the widening of the stinger bulb (single frame from high-speed videography of stinging behavior).