The authors report on the first investigation of the variations in the plasma parameters in the formation process of the honeycomb pattern in a dielectric barrier discharge by optical emission spectrum in argon and air mixture. The discharge undergoes hexagonal lattice, concentric spot-ring pattern and honeycomb pattern with the applied voltage increasing. The molecular vibration temperature, electron excitation temperature and electronic density of the three kinds of patterns were investigated by the emission spectra of nitrogen band of second positive system (C3Πu→B3Πg), the relative intensity ratio method of spectral lines of ArⅠ763.51 nm (2P6→1S5) and ArⅠ772.42 nm (2P2→1S3) and the broadening of spectral line 696.5 nm respectively. It was found that the molecular vibration temperature and electron excitation temperature of the honeycomb pattern are higher than those of the hexagonal lattice, but the electron density of the former is lower than that of the latter. The discharge powers of the patterns were also measured with the capacitance method. The discharge power of the honeycomb pattern is much higher than that of the hexagonal lattice. These results are of great importance to the formation mechanism of the patterns in dielectric barrier discharge.