> This subject is covered in depth in two articles that I wrote...
Then do you have a citation to the original source of the findings?
How about the chemical name?
I cannot agree with using "wingbeats" rather than "miles flown"
as a measure of a bee's lifespan.
The energy required to hover is a tiny fraction of the energy required
to move through the air, so not all wingbeats are going to use the same
amount of "muscle power". Flying with the wind rather than against the
wind would be another case where not all wingbeats would be the same.
I'd also cite the higher wingbeat frequency and faster airspeed of a bee
that "head buts" you as a warning that you are about to be stung, but the
wingbeat frequency of a "Kamakaz-bee" is the least of its problems given
that it head-butts you at the highest velocity it can attain.
That impact has gotta hurt the bee more than it hurts you. :)
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