Life Cycle of a Honey Bee (Tarlin)

Today we are looking at an interesting collection from a company called Tarlin (I must admit, I had never heard of them before learning about this set). The set, which came out recently this year, is simply called ‘Bees’ and features developmental stages and brood chambers of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. The set is very similar to, and was probably heavily influenced by, a similar collection produced by Epoch in 2019 for the Asian giant hornet. The set consists of one each larva, pupa, worker, drone, and queen, plus two sets of brood chambers, one each with two and three cells. The wings are articulated in the three adults. The perfect kit for building you own little bee hive!

While the honey bee is nowadays nearly cosmopolitan in distribution, few people probably know of its true origins. It is believed to be native to Asia, and its spread into Europe, Africa, and the Middle East is believed to be natural. Humans have introduced it, mainly for honey production, to East Asia, Australia, and North and South America. In the US, the decline of the honey bee in recent years has garnered much attention. However, most people are probably not aware that it is not native to North America and therefore is not part of the natural North American ecosystem. For all intents and purposes, honey bees outside of their native distributions are agricultural products, whether for honey production, beeswax, to pollinate crops. I can go on and on about the cultural relevance of honey bees (they are the official state insect of Utah, my current place of residence), but today I would rather focus on the figures in this amazing set!

First up in the larva with brood chambers:

Next is a pupa with brood chambers:

Our first adult, a worker bee. The figure is 2.5 cm long for a scale of 2:1-3:1. Notice the pollen baskets on the legs! A nice touch! Worker bees are sterile females, which is why they can sting (the stinger is a modification of the ovipositor, an egg-laying structure).

Next, the drone. The biological function of drones is to mate with the queen. Because drones are males, they are incapable of stinging. The figure is 2.5 cm long for a scale of 2:1-2.3:1. This appears to be the same sculpt as the worker, but without the pollen baskets.

Lastly, the queen! The queen is the central figure in a colony and produces eggs. The figure is 3.5 cm long for a scale of 1.75:1-1.9:1. [note: my queen came lacking antennae; I am working with the seller to rectify that]

Bees are very commonly made as toys, most often as generic figures in bin-style sets. Few are accurately attributable to a given species, except for those made by major manufacturers. In 1998 Bullyland produced worker, drone, and queen honey bees. And Tedco Toys, Safari Ltd., and Insect Lore produced life cycles of the honey bee. I have to admit, however, the figures in this set by Tarlin are some of the most realistic bee figures I have seen specifically attributable to A. mellifera. Not to mention, the figures are a good size and the whole display is very education. Recommended, even for generalists.