The proboscis of a bee

Never knew that bees had tongues (of a sort).


"A bee's tongue is covered by rings of cartilage bearing hairs and separated by smooth, membranous intervals. The tip of the tongue is a small spoon-shaped lobe, or flabellum, that is smooth on the underside but covered with branched spines along the edges and top. Muscles associated with the tongue allow the bee to 'lap' at fluids. A sucking pump also assists in feeding. The pump is a large, muscled sac in the head. Dilator muscles suck liquid up the proboscis in a way similar to the way a turkey baster bulb works."