Why do bees sting even though they would die after?
In: Biology
The needs of the hive outweigh the needs of the bee.
Workers and drones are the last line of defence and they themselves don’t reproduce with the sole exception of the initial fertilisation of queens. Leaving the stinger in is more likely to dissuade or kill invaders because it continues to inject and irritate. As long as the death of the bee does not affect the ability of the hive to continue storing food and reproducing then there is no reason for the genes involved to be selected against. It should also be noted that not all bee species, honey collecting or otherwise, actually lose their stinger.
Wasps didn’t evolve barbs, but also do not produce honey and so there is less of an incentive for gatherers to continue an attack when stung since sugar is an extremely valuable energy source. Without the high calories provided by honey there is a lower attraction to a wasp nest simply to get protein from the lava which can be sought elsewhere.
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