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Has the common Honey Bee evolved a stinger designed for penetrating human skin so it will cause as much damage possible even if it means death? A honey bee can sting other insects and mammals more than just once, but that is not the case when inserted in the skin of a human it will be the bee's first and last sting. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/04/differences-bees-wasps-hornets/

The current form of the honey bee's stinger has evolved barbs. These barbs will cause the bee to lose its stinger in human skin giving the stinger more time to eject the apitoxin and apis virus into the nervous system causing extreme pain and for some anaphylaxis a severe allergic reaction.

Question- With the information and references I have provided, is there evidence that the Honey Bee's stinger has evolved specifically to be more effective against humans?

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    $\begingroup$ [citation needed] what is your evidence that a honeybee's stinger is most efficient in penetrating human skin? Also remember that evolution works both ways; human skin may not have great evolutionary pressure to ward off bee stings, whereas something like bear's fur may be under a stronger pressure $\endgroup$
    – Luigi
    Jul 4, 2016 at 13:27
  • $\begingroup$ Bees sting all sorts of animals to defend their hive/territory - birds, dogs, rodents, bears, moose, etc. $\endgroup$
    – MattDMo
    Jul 4, 2016 at 13:37
  • $\begingroup$ @MattDMo-can you name a animal allergic to bee stings? $\endgroup$ Jul 4, 2016 at 15:09
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    $\begingroup$ I thought they were really awful at stinging us, no? Their stinger get's lodged in our gooey skin and they rip their guts out trying to escape! I imagine they're more aimed at damaging insects and just so happens that a swarm can even deter larger animals if needs bee. tehe! $\endgroup$
    – James
    Jul 4, 2016 at 15:51
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    $\begingroup$ Anaphylaxis isn't really that relevant for dissuading a predator; they could do a lot of damage before it kicked in. It's the pain of the sting that drives them off. Presumably we can agree that bee stings are painful for animals other than humans? $\endgroup$
    – arboviral
    Jul 5, 2016 at 15:56

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The answer to the question "has evolution designed the common Honey Bee's stinger solely for stinging man-kind?" is no.

A honey bee's barbed stinger remains in the skin of any mammal afterwards due to its elasticity (skin closes back around the base after penetration) but can be retracted after stinging another insect. It isn't a human-specific thing. Presumably this is because it takes more toxin to dissuade a mammalian predator than an insect given their size. A little dose of toxin is released straight away but in order to deliver a dose large enough to irritate a large predator the venom sac needs to remain attached. The resultant damage kills a sterile worker bee but removes an attacking predator that could do much more damage; it is a strategy that confers a selective advantage.

The reference you cited doesn't appear to say anything about other mammals, just other animals, so this doesn't actually contradict your other source. Insects are animals too!

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"Stingers in bees evolved from ovipositors", here is a good reference of how bee stinger have evolved. http://www.askabiologist.org.uk/answers/viewtopic.php?id=4021

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The defense of the honey bee, having a barbed stinger which continues to pump venom even after the bee is swatted away by the intruder, (be it a human or a bear or other animal), is called "sting autonomy." When defending against a large mammal, the more stings the more likely to have an impact.

The reason the honey bee colony can afford to lose many guard bees in this manner is that they are a highly social species, called eusocial, or truly social (the highest level of social structure). The colony typically has 10s of thousands of members, and the queen is constantly laying eggs to replace lost workers, which usually only live 4-6 weeks, in normal summer activity.

Only the social bees are likely to sting you. Most bees are not social. The honey bee is the exception, so most bees will not sting you (if you can even find them). There are 3600 other species in the US besides honey bees, (which represent one, single species). And furthermore, honey bees will not sting you unless you approach or open their nest, (or grab one in your hand, or crush one) which is unlikely to happen accidentally. They will not attack you unless they are defending their nest- never at a flower! I doubt you have ever been stung by a honey bee, as most people confuse them with yellow jackets, which are not bees, but social wasps. The yellow jacket also has a barbed stinger but much smaller barb (and a much more defensive temperament), so it may or may not get stuck in your skin.

You can read all about stinging insects in the wonderful book, The Sting of the Wild, by Justin O. Schmidt. Bee Well! - Carl the Beekeeper (Cornell University Master Beekeeper)

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to Biology.SE! We could certainly use expert help with answering questions about insects, but please note that answers are much more likely to receive a favorable response if you include supporting references (primary literature is best). That allows non-expert users to learn more and to verify your answer — also, since we have no way to verify your identity this is important for distinguishing truth from opinion. ——— You may also wish to take the tour and then consult the help pages for additional advice on How to Answer effectively on this site and then edit your answer. Thank you! 😊 $\endgroup$
    – tyersome
    Feb 11, 2020 at 20:12

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