Vulture bees are a thing and they bite.

 






Bees are man's best friend if you think about it. Without them we would go hungry and have far less flowers to look at. Not only that, but a world without honey is a world I wouldn't want to live in.

Just like with all living things, the bees are evolving. A species in Costa Rica has grown an extra tooth and uses it to eat meat! The so called "vulture bees" have been found to eat the flesh of carrion (dead animal flesh) and not get sick. Scientists believe the reason is to lower competition for nectar and still being able to survive.

They've also found gut microbes in this species of bees that is similar to the gut microbes found in vultures and other carrion eating animals. These microbes ensure the animals do not get sick or die due to toxins from the dead flesh.

This species produces honey that is every bit as good as their vegetarian counterparts. The meat they ingest is stored in a special chamber in their gut for up to two weeks, separate from where the nectar to produce honey is stored.

These are the only bees in the world that have evolved to use food sources not produced by plants, which is a pretty remarkable change in dietary habits,' said paper author and University of California, Riverside entomologist Doug Yanega

To find out more about this species please click the article below.



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