What typically causes a worker bee to die shortly after stinging?

When a worker bee stings, it has a barbed stinger that becomes lodged in the skin of its target, such as a mammal. As the bee attempts to pull away, the stinger and part of its abdomen are ripped from its body, leading to significant damage. This injury causes the bee to die shortly after stinging because it loses vital organs and circulatory system components.

While loss of wings can happen in other contexts, it is not the primary cause of death after stinging. Similarly, while the bee may experience some exhaustion from the process of stinging, that is not the direct physiological cause of their death. Injury from the sting itself can contribute to pain for the recipient but is not relevant to the bee's demise. Therefore, the damage to its abdomen is the direct reason for the bee's death shortly after it stings, making this the correct answer.