Grasshoppers are good examples of insects with chewing mouthparts that prominently feature a pair of strong mandibles . Other important parts of the mouth are the maxillae , located behind the mandibles of the grasshopper, which aid in holding and manipulating the food. At the base of the mouthparts is the labium , and on top is the plate-like labrum . Insects that feed on wood, such as roundheaded borers, have stout, strong jaws that make up much of their head. Some other insects combine chewing mouthparts with other features.
Honeybees have chewing mouthparts used primarily to mold and form the wax of their colony.
However, honeybees also possess a tongue-like proboscis used to suck nectar. Mouthparts of horse flies and stable flies are designed to slash the skin quickly to produce oozing blood that can then be sucked up quickly. Another common type of mouthpart is designed to pierce tissues and suck fluids. With these insects, the mandibles and the maxillae are very drawn out, forming a long, hair-thin tube, or proboscis . The mandibles penetrate the plants while the maxillae form a channel through which the plant sap can be withdrawn.