Comment on meat honey
coalie@piefed.zip 1 day ago
The vulture bee is sometimes said to produce a so-called “meat honey”, but this is a misnomer resulting from scientific uncertainty, due to historic confusion of multiple species, each with a slightly different method of processing.
In one detailed study of Trigona hypogea in Brazil, the vulture bees mixed sugary plant products with a proteinaceous paste from regurgitated meat, and let it mature to form a sweet substance that was used as food; however, the two resources were initially kept in separate “pots” in the colony, neither being true honey (i.e., not derived from nectar), but they were then mixed together.
In a different study of Trigona necrophaga in Panama, the bees gathered nectar and produced honey, and they also produced a glandular secretion, derived from carrion, partially metabolized, used as a protein source, and kept completely separate from the honey. In neither case were the bees mixing meat-based substances with floral-derived substances.
In one detailed study of Trigona hypogea in Brazil, the vulture bees mixed sugary plant products with a proteinaceous paste from regurgitated meat, and let it mature to form a sweet substance that was used as food; however, the two resources were initially kept in separate “pots” in the colony, neither being true honey (i.e., not derived from nectar), but they were then mixed together.
So it’s not incorporated in the honey. They have a separate protein stache.
A protein stache would be part of a meat beard.
I’ll keep the typo up because of this <3
And both of these are great metal band names as well.
Fascinating. It’s worth mentioning that (normal) honey can be used to preserve meat, thanks to its antimicrobial and hydrophilic properties. I guess that’s what’s going on here too: they use a kind of nectar honey to keep the meat component from going off. That said, this kind of food preservation isn’t immune to botulism so do be careful if you try this.
Now I’m wondering when/how this behavior evolved. Did these guys come first, and honeybees figured out how to eat pollen as a protein source as an evolutionary step, the other way around, or separately at the same time from some parent species?
My mudhoney cover band.
No it’s my Meat Puppets cover band
Every Good Boy Deserves Meat Honey
Superbuzz Meatmuff
Buzzing Barfmunchers
I just came into the comments to post that. Thank you!
snoons@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
There needs to be metal band called Vulture Bees, this is too metal.
obre@slrpnk.net 23 hours ago
Not exactly what you meant, but the first thing that came to mind
www.metal-archives.com/albums/Earth/…/178274
prettybunnys@piefed.social 1 day ago
The_Che_Banana@beehaw.org 23 hours ago
Image
YetAnotherNerd@sopuli.xyz 9 hours ago
Amorphis! Their lyricist does a great job adapting the Finnish spoken histories. ZERO idea if this is one of them, though it references the shores of Tuonela. I highly recommend the clean/acoustic version of My Kantele youtu.be/UufaC2TI7dg
TheOneAndOnly@lemmy.world 13 hours ago
Well that was certainly… Something.