The detached sting of a honey bee (Apis mellifera) can continue injecting venom into the skin…

The detached sting of a honey bee (Apis mellifera) can continue injecting venom into the skin through an autonomous double-piston mechanism. Researchers at Macquarie University in Australia directly observed this process using high-speed cameras. Their study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The honey bee's sting is typically single-use; it can remain embedded in the skin and detach from the bee's body, which usually leads to the bee's death. However, the sting continues to function after detachment, delivering venom into the wound.