De Vector

Researchers film the autonomous pump of a honeybee stinger

A PNAS study shows how two deformable valves continue moving fluid after the stinger has detached.

Australian researchers have directly filmed for the first time how a detached honeybee stinger continues to work. The study describes the stinger as a small, self-powered micropump with two deformable pistons.

A honeybee’s stinger can continue moving after it has become detached from the body. The phenomenon has been known for some time, but the precise mechanism was difficult to observe because the structure is approximately two millimetres long and operates deep inside a target surface. A team from Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales has now investigated the process using high-speed video.

The researchers allowed bees to drive their stingers into a clear gel that mimics the properties of skin. Using video recordings of up to 300 frames per second, they were able to follow the movements inside the stinger’s pumping chamber. The study was published online on 12 October in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and has therefore been peer-reviewed.

The pump contains two valves that function as deformable pistons. They move in opposite directions. During one movement, they seal off part of the chamber and push fluid out; during the return movement, they deform so that the chamber can be refilled. According to the researchers, this combination enables an almost continuous flow of fluid.

The shape of the valves is essential. They must seal sufficiently to build up pressure, while also being able to pass each other without the pump jamming. The researchers therefore used micro-CT scans to reconstruct the structure in three dimensions. Using this data, they made an enlarged model with a printer, allowing parts of the movement to be tested again.

The study could be of interest to biomimetics, the design of technology based on biological examples. The authors cite possible inspiration for small pumps in microfluidic systems and minimally invasive medical equipment. This does not mean that a medical application already exists: the researchers describe a design principle, not a tested medical device.

The experiments were conducted using stingers and an artificial gel, not on people. It is also not yet clear which materials, production costs and safety requirements would be needed to make the mechanism technically usable. The possible applications are therefore a research direction for follow-up studies.

The publication fills a gap in knowledge about the biology of honeybees. Earlier research had already described the anatomy of the stinger, but the new footage makes the pumping movement visible. Whether other bee species have a similar mechanism, and how efficiently an artificial version could work, remains to be investigated.

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