A small social insect, up to 3/4 of an inch long, living in colonies with 1 queen, tens of thousands of workers and a few hundred drones. The abdomen is striped orange-yellow and the head, antennae and legs are black. Its 4 wings are translucent. Anatomy varies by caste. The workers (sterile females) have specialized parts for their various functions -- e.g., baskets on their hind legs to collect pollen and stingers to defend the hive. The drones (males) and queen (egg-laying female) are specialized for reproduction.