In a surprise move, honeybee tongue hairs repel water

A honeybee pokes out its tongue—which is densely covered in hairs—to lap up nectar and other liquids. Now, researchers report in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that those hairs are water repellent. That's unexpected, since most liquid-capturing organs in nature are hydrophilic, or water loving. But the hairs' hydrophobic nature makes the tongue more flexible, which is useful when foraging from sources with differing shapes. The findings could help researchers design new materials.

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