Which mouthpart type is characteristic of bees?

The mouthpart type characteristic of bees is sponging. Bees possess specialized mouthparts that are adapted for their feeding habits, particularly for collecting nectar from flowers. Their mouthparts consist of a combination of structures, including a long proboscis which is essentially a tube-like extension that allows them to reach deep into flowers.

While the term "sponging" might evoke the image of sponge-like feeding, in the context of bees, their mouthparts function similarly by allowing them to suck up liquid nectar. When feeding, they can often be seen extending their proboscis to capture nectar, and they can also manipulate solid materials such as pollen with their mandibles, but their primary feeding mechanism is indeed adapted for liquid retrieval, reflecting the sponging function.

The inclusion of other mouthpart types like chewing or biting does not apply to bees. Those mouthparts are typically associated with insects that need to process solid food, whereas bees primarily utilize their sponging mouthparts for liquid. Similarly, siphoning mouthparts are found in butterflies, which feed on nectar through a long tubular structure, and do not align with the anatomical structure of bees.