What specialized structure found on honeybees do yellow-faced bees notably lack?
Answer
Corbiculae, or pollen baskets.
A key physical difference noted in yellow-faced bees (*Hylaeus*) when compared to familiar, hairy bees like honeybees is the absence of specialized structures used for external pollen carriage. Honeybees utilize corbiculae, often called pollen baskets, located on their hind legs, which are modified surfaces designed to hold tightly packed balls of pollen. Because *Hylaeus* bees transport pollen internally as a liquid mixture within their crop, they do not possess these external baskets. This difference in pollen management explains their relatively smooth appearance, as they lack the dense, pollen-trapping hair that accumulates grains externally on species possessing corbiculae.
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