An Electrophysiological Study of the Oral Plate Sensory Organs of the Honey Bee (\u3cem\u3eApis mellifera\u3c/em\u3e L.)

The oral plate sense organs of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. , have been investigated employing an electrophysiological technique which allows simultaneous stimulation and recording. The results of the study present evidence that the four bipolar sense cells innervating the sensory papillae on the oral surface of the hypopharynx are chemoreceptors. The sensory papillae respond to cations, glucose, water, and amino acids. Evidence for the absence of a mechanosensory cell is presented. The data concerning the sensory structures agree with the current theories of chemoreception