Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Science

Honey bees' sense of smell changes from larval to adult life stages, study finds

Honey bee larvae lack the sophisticated olfactory capabilities of adult honey bees, a new study finds. Scientists point to this temporary loss of function as a side effect of the nurse bees' heroic level of brood care, calling it a consequence of social evolution. The new findings are detailed in th...

Honey bees' sense of smell changes from larval to adult life stages, study finds
Image: Phys.org
Honey bee larvae lack the sophisticated olfactory capabilities of adult honey bees, a new study finds. Scientists point to this temporary loss of function as a side effect of the nurse bees' heroic level of brood care, calling it a consequence of social evolution. The new findings are detailed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Originally published at Phys.org

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