> >I don't think that finding a small number of grains in a crushed larva is
> evidence that they were intentionally fed by nurse bees.


Let's think about the mechanism for transport involved, should nurses
intentionally feed pollen to larvae.

If nurses intentionally fed, we'd all see nurses carrying beebread in their
mouths.  How many of you have observed this?

If the nurses carried pollen in their crops, their proventricular valve
would quickly filter the grains out and pass them into the midgut.  Thus
they would not be able to disgorge them to the larvae.



-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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