Honey bees have how many pairs of wings attached to their thorax for flight and manoeuvring?

Introduction / Context:
Insect body structure is a common topic in school biology and competitive exams. Wings are one of the key features that help distinguish different insect orders. Honey bees and many other members of the order Hymenoptera have a characteristic wing arrangement. This question asks you to recall how many pairs of wings bees possess.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on bees, especially honey bees, as common examples.
• We are counting pairs of wings, not the total number of wings.
• The options provide different numbers of pairs: 4, 3, 2, 1, or none.
• Bees are typical flying insects with a well defined thoracic wing arrangement.

Concept / Approach:
Insect wings are attached to the thorax. Most adult bees have two pairs of wings: a larger forewing pair and a smaller hindwing pair on each side of the body, which are often linked together during flight by tiny hooks called hamuli. This means bees have a total of four wings, arranged in two pairs. The approach is simply to recall basic insect morphology and apply it to bees rather than counting legs or confusing wings with other appendages.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that adult insects typically have three major body regions: head, thorax, and abdomen.Step 2: Remember that wings, when present, are attached to the thorax, not the head or abdomen.Step 3: Identify bees as members of the order Hymenoptera, which characteristically have two pairs of wings.Step 4: Recognise that these two pairs (forewings and hindwings) make a total of four wings.Step 5: Therefore, bees have 2 pairs of wings, and you should choose the option 2.

Verification / Alternative check:
Diagrams and photographs of bees clearly show four wings: two on each side. Entomology references describe Hymenoptera as having two pairs of membranous wings, with forewings typically larger than hindwings. This directly confirms that bees have 2 pairs of wings and rules out the other numerical options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: 4 pairs would mean eight wings, which bees do not have.Option B: 3 pairs (six wings) are not found in bees or in typical insect anatomy.Option D: 1 pair would mean only two wings, as in some other insect groups (for example, true flies), not in bees.Option E: 0 is incorrect because bees clearly have wings and can fly.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students confuse total number of wings with pairs and might think of four wings and incorrectly choose 4 instead of 2 pairs. Others may mistakenly recall the number of legs (three pairs) and transfer that to wings. To avoid such errors, always remember that bees have two pairs of wings (four in total) and three pairs of legs (six in total).

Final Answer:
The correct answer is 2.