Jennifer asked: Can someone give a rough list of fat body functions in bees? 
The insect fat body including bees is an organanalogue to vertebrate adipose tissue and liver and functionsas a major organ for nutrient storage, energy metabolism and detoxification of foreign toxin products if needed. n insectsthe fat body is a dynamic tissue involved in multiple metabolic functions. Fatbody cells will not only control the synthesis and utilization of energyreserves—fat, carbohydrate and glycogen—but also synthesize most of thehemolymph proteins and circulating metabolites such as lipophorins responsiblefor the lipid transport in circulation, or vitellogenins for egg maturation. 

The question is that honey bees like any other insect have an open circulatory. The insect bloodthat is called hemolymph in in all body cavity, bathing all the internal tissues. Hemolymph is mostly water,but it also contains ions, carbohydrates, lipids, glycerol, amino acids,hormones, some cells and pigments. If the mites feeding on the fat bodythey must have a special mechanism to predigest some of the fat body tissue toallow the mites feeding on that tissue mush. 
Medhat NasrEdmonton, Alberta Canada  

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