The illustration depicts the life span of the honey bee.
Overall, it is a natural, cyclic process and consists of six stages which take approximately five weeks. It begins when female honey bees lay eggs and ends when bees are mature.
In the beginning, female bees lay 1 or 2 eggs once every three days. After being laid, the eggs hatch after 9-10 days. Before nymphs emerge as young adults, they moult three times. Once honey bees have been hatched, they are extremely small and moult for the first time in 5 days. Afterwards, nymphs grow in size and second phase of moulting begins. During the next 7 days they are increasing, afterwards last 9-day phase begins. When moulting process ends, honey bees become young adults and their bottom part of the body acquires striped pattern. The honey bees mature only after 4 days have passed.