Heated defense
To guard their nest from predatory hornets, the
bees go into a defensive stance at the entrance to
the cavity. They raise their front legs and open their
mandibles (top). When a hornet gets close, they
tackle it (middle) and pile on to prevent escape
(bottom). Then the bees rapidly work their flight
muscles to generate heat (right). The hornet’s body
temperature rises until it succumbs to the heat.