Honeycomb, and the anatomy of the worker
bee. Worker bees hold freshly gathered nectar
in the honey sac, together with enzymes from
various glands, until they return to the hive.
Sweet Ants
Among the more unusual sweeteners are
the honey or honeypot ants (species of
Melophorus, Camponotus, Myrmecocystus)
of Australia, Mexico, and the American
southwest. Their colonies include a caste
of workers whose role it is to store nectar
and honeydew in their abdomens, which
swell to the size of a pea or grape and
become translucent. Honey ants are
enjoyed by pinching off the abdomens and
popping them directly into the mouth, or
by folding them into tortillas.