from THE COMBS OF HONEYBEES AS COMPOSITE MATERIALS. H.R. HEPBURN S.P. KURSTJENS:
> Combs ranged in colour from white to brown and varied in silk content from 0 to 34%. However, the mass ratio of silk to wax changes with successive generations or brood cycles. H CAUVIN (1962) showed that, in a series of combs ranging from pale yellow to brownish black, the mass of wax per unit area of comb doubled, while that of silk increased from 2 to 42 %. So, while the absolute mass of wax increased over time, the relative amount of wax actually decreased. This occurred in addition to unspecifiable chemical changes associated with comb colour.
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