One of the most interesting developments in the comparison of monks to bees occurs in Aldhelm of Malmesbury 's « De uirginitate ».
In this treatise, Aldhelm makes the claim that monks are like bees in their voluntary solidarity and obedience to leadership.
This is a novel claim into which Aldhelm introduces a theme known from other Christian and pagan literature.
We can reasonably suppose that Aldhelm may have been directly influenced by Pliny, nat. 11, 4, 11 and 11, 16, 46 and Vergil, georg. 4, 149-218.
