What describes the social structure of honey bees?

The social structure of honey bees is best described as eusocial, which is a term used to characterize a high level of social organization found in some insect species. Eusociality is marked by three key features: cooperative brood care, overlapping generations within a colony, and a division of labor into reproductive and non-reproductive castes.

In the case of honey bees, this means that the colony consists of a queen bee, worker bees, and drones, each with distinct roles. The queen is primarily responsible for reproduction, while worker bees perform a variety of functions, including foraging for nectar and pollen, caring for the queen's offspring, building and maintaining the hive, and protecting the colony. Drones solely exist to mate with a queen during the breeding season.

This cooperative behavior and division of labor enhance the survival and efficiency of the colony. Unlike solitary insects, which live and reproduce independently, honey bees thrive in the complex social structure of a hive, where individuals work together for the benefit of the entire community. The other options do not accurately reflect this cooperative and organized lifestyle. For instance, solitary indicates a lifestyle of individual living, which does not apply to honey bees, while communal suggests a less structured form of social living that lacks the specific roles seen