Science Assignment (Class 10)

 

Honeybees: Social Insects and Their Importance

Honeybees are highly organized social insects that belong to the order Hymenoptera and the family Apidae. They live together in colonies and show a well-developed system of division of labor. Honeybees are economically important because they produce honey and beeswax and help in the pollination of flowering plants.

A honeybee colony consists of three types of individuals: the queen, drones, and workers. The queen is the only fertile female in the colony. Her main function is to lay eggs and maintain the population of the hive. A queen bee may lay up to 2,000 eggs in a single day during the breeding season.

Drones are the male bees. Their primary function is to mate with the queen during the nuptial flight. Drones do not collect nectar or pollen and do not participate in hive activities. After mating, the drone dies.

Worker bees are sterile females and are the most numerous members of the colony. They perform various tasks such as collecting nectar and pollen, feeding larvae, cleaning the hive, producing wax, constructing honeycombs, and protecting the colony from enemies. The duties of worker bees change according to their age, a phenomenon known as age polyethism.

Honeybees undergo complete metamorphosis, which includes four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The queen lays eggs in the cells of the honeycomb. The eggs hatch into larvae, which are fed by worker bees. The larvae develop into pupae and finally emerge as adult bees.

Honeybees communicate through a special behavior called the "waggle dance." This dance helps worker bees inform other members of the colony about the direction and distance of food sources. Such communication increases the efficiency of food collection.

The process of collecting nectar from flowers and transferring pollen from one flower to another is called pollination. Honeybees are among the most effective pollinators. Pollination increases agricultural production and helps maintain biodiversity. Therefore, honeybees play a vital role in both natural ecosystems and human agriculture.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Honeybees belong to the family:

A. Formicidae
B. Apidae
C. Muscidae
D. Culicidae

2. Which caste of honeybee is responsible for laying eggs?

A. Drone
B. Worker
C. Queen
D. Larva

 

3. Drones are:

A. Sterile females
B. Fertile females
C. Male bees
D. Larval bees

4. Which caste is most numerous in a honeybee colony?

A. Queen
B. Drone
C. Worker
D. Pupa

5. Honeybees undergo:

A. No metamorphosis
B. Incomplete metamorphosis
C. Complete metamorphosis
D. Direct development

6. Which of the following is NOT a stage of complete metamorphosis?

A. Egg
B. Larva
C. Nymph
D. Pupa

7. The dance used by honeybees to communicate the location of food is called:

A. Circular dance
B. Mating dance
C. Waggle dance
D. Flight dance

8. Which bee caste produces beeswax and constructs honeycombs?

A. Queen
B. Drone
C. Worker
D. Larva

9. The transfer of pollen from one flower to another is known as:

A. Germination
B. Fertilization
C. Pollination
D. Budding

10. The major agricultural importance of honeybees is:

A. Producing silk
B. Producing milk
C. Pollination of crops
D. Decomposing organic matter

11. Why are worker bees called the backbone of the colony?

A. They are the largest bees in the hive.
B. They perform almost all essential tasks of the colony.
C. They lay eggs continuously.
D. They mate with the queen.