
Don't have a clue where the old "bee's knees" expression came from, but this picture illustrates a real one.
The specialization of insect legs is a great subject for photomicrography. Like the water boatman, the honeybee's legs are highly specialized. Here you can see the pollen combs which collect pollen from the middle legs and abdomen. The stiff bristles ("pecten" or "rake") at the bottom of the tibia collects the pollen from the pollen combs on the opposite side of the body. The pollen is collected into the space above the "anvil-like" auricle. When the bee bends it's leg back and forth (during flight) the pollen is crushed in this "pollen press" and packed into the pollen basket (located on the opposite side of the tibia from this view).
Nikon 3X (large photo), 2.5X photoeyepiece. Canon 10D. Fiber optic illumination.