I made a series of macro videos while my bees were emerging from their cocoons, this is just a preview of the two part series that will show them chewing through their cocoon and leaving it for the first time. This clip I forgot to turn on the microphone, so I turned it into a "trailer" video. But due to using Youtube for higher bitrate videos, I cannot upload this for copyright reasons as the audio track may be detected. So I uploaded to LBRY, the other videos will be of higher bitrate and on Youtube, as all the audio is mine.
It takes these bees a few days to chew through, I can hear them way before I can see them so I guess theres alot to chew through. But at this point in their development I turn on my camera and get to see them making the final cuts in the cocoon to leave it finally.
Starts off with just seeing a small gap in the cocoon, their eye can be seen shimmering through the gap. Sometimes it can take them many hours at this point to emerge, until they start to get their bodyparts through its a slow process of emerging.
The mouth parts can be seen chewing through the wall of the spun silk, their mandibles look kinda scary but they have never bitten me so I guess its just for chewing through the cocoon.
Its legs are used to help push the cocoon open and it goes between chewing and pressing until the cocoon is completely open.
Finally one of its antennae and leg can be seen, light is also shining through the opening in the cocoon making the silk wall a little transparent.
I see its mandibles again above and its almost got enough open start to get out of the cocoon. Sometimes it will turn around and work on another part of the cocoon, I will see them rolling around in there until they find a spot to try to open up with their mouthparts.
Finally its head pops through, seems to check out its surroundings for a few seconds and then retreats back into the cocoon and takes a break for awhile.