蜜蜂是一种完全社会化的昆虫，它们在寿命方面表现出了显著的级型差异。蜂王的平均寿命是1~2年，而工蜂在生产季节平均寿命是30~40 d，越冬季节平均寿命是90~200 d，显然蜜蜂寿命有可塑性。这种可塑性是由环境因素控制，因为蜂王和工蜂的遗传基础是一致的。另外工蜂任务可以发生逆转，这意味着老化的逆转。本文综述了近年来一些老化研究，从老化知识的不同层面来阐明蜜蜂老化可塑性。

    Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are eusocial insects that exhibit striking castespecific differences in lifespan. Queens live, on average, for 1-2 years whereas workers live, on average, 30-40 days in the breeding season and 90-200 days in the winter. This seasonal variation in worker lifespans indicates that honeybee lifespans are plastic. Because queens and workers are fundamentally the same genetic.This plasticity is probably controlled by environmental, rather than genetic factors. In addition, workers have reverted behavioral ontogeny, and this peculiarity is indicative of reverted ageing. In order to elucidate plasticity in the ageing of honey bees, here we review recent findings about aging in honeybees over the past few years, focusing on knowledge of ageing at different life history stages.