HORTICULTURE

Detailed explanation-1: -The pollen basket or corbicula (plural corbiculae) is part of the tibia on the hind legs of the female of certain species of bees.

Detailed explanation-2: -Bees don’t just transport pollen between plants, they also bring balls of it back to the hive for food. These “pollen pellets, ‘’ which also include nectar and can account for 30% of a bee’s weight, hang off their hind legs like overstuffed saddlebags (pictured).

Detailed explanation-3: -While workers have these distinct features, queens do not. The research team was able to confirm this by isolating and silencing Ubx, the target gene. This made the pollen baskets, specialized leg features used to collect and transport pollen, completely disappear.