Honey-producing bees, also known as honey bees, are mainly grouped in the genus Apis. However, honey bees can also be found within the Meliponini tribe, although in this case it is a different honey, less abundant and more liquid, which is traditionally used for medicinal purposes.
In this peritoAnimal article, we will show all types of bees that produce honey of the genus Apis, including extinct ones, with information about the species, its characteristics and photos.
These are the main types of honey-producing bees
The European honey bee or western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is probably one of the most popular bee species and was classified by Carl Nilsson Linneaus in 1758. It has up to 20 recognized species and is native to Europe, Africa and Asia, although it has spread to all continents except Antarctica. [1]
There is great economic interest behind this species, as its pollination contributes significantly to the world’s food production, in addition to producing honey, pollen, wax, royal jelly and propolis. [1] However, the use of certain pesticides, such as calcium polysulfide or Rotenat CE®, negatively affects the species, so it is so important to focus on organic farming and the use of safe pesticides. [2]
The Asian bee (Apis cerana) is similar to the European bee, being a little smaller. It is native to Southeast Asia and lives in several countries such as China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia, but has also been introduced to Papua New Guinea, Australia and the Solomon Islands. [3]
A recent study confirms that the presence of this species has decreased, mainly in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Japan and South Korea, as well as its production, mainly due to the conversion of forests into rubber and palm oil plantations. It has also been affected by the introduction of Apis mellifera by beekeepers in Southeast Asia, as it offers higher productivity than endemic bees, while causing the emergence of various diseases in the Asian bee. [3]
It is important to note that Apis nuluensis is currently considered a subspecies of Apis cerana.
The Asian dwarf bee (Apis florea) is a type of bee that has been commonly mistaken for Apis andreniformis, also of Asian origin, due to its morphological similarities. However, they can be differentiated mainly by one of its anterior limbs, which is significantly longer in the case of Florea Apis. [4]
The species extends about 7,000 km from the eastern tip of Vietnam to southeastern China. [4] However, starting in 1985, its presence on the African continent began to be noticed, probably due to global transport. Subsequently, settlements were also observed in the Middle East. [5]
It is common for entire families to live on honey produced by these bees, although this sometimes results in the death of the colonies due to mismanagement and lack of knowledge about beekeeping. [6]
The giant Asian bee or bee (Apis dorsata) is distinguished mainly by its large size compared to other types of bees, ranging from 17 to 20 mm. It lives in tropical and subtropical regions, mainly in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Australia, making extravagant nests on tree branches, always located near food sources. [7]
It is important to note that Laborious Apis is currently considered a subspecies of Apis dorsata.
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The Philippine honey bee (Apis nigrocincta) is found in the Philippines and Indonesia and measures between 5.5 and 5.9 mm. [9] It is a species that nests in cavities, such as hollow trunks, caves, or human structures, usually near the ground. [ten]
Being a relatively recently recognized species and generally confused with nearby Apis, we still have little data on this species, but one curiosity is that it is a species that can start new hives throughout the year, although there are some predisposing factors for it, such as predation by other species, lack of resources or extreme temperatures. [10]
The Koschevnikov bee (Apis koschevnikovi) is a species endemic to Borneo, Malaysia and Indonesia, which shares its habitat with Apis cerana Nuluensis. [11] Like other Asian bees, the Koschevnikov bee usually nests in cavities, although its presence in the environment is severely affected by deforestation, caused by tea, palm oil, rubber and coconut plantations. [12]
Unlike other types of bees, this species tends to create very small colonies, allowing it to survive in humid and rainy climates. Despite this, it easily stores resources and reproduces at an accelerated rate during flowering. [13]
The black dwarf bee (Apis andreniformis) inhabits Southeast Asia, covering China, India, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. [14] It is one of the species of honey bees that has gone unnoticed for years because it was believed to be a subspecies of Florea Apis, which several studies have refuted. [14]
It’s a darker black bee of its kind. They create their colonies on small trees or shrubs, taking advantage of the vegetation to go unnoticed. They usually build near the ground, at an average altitude of 2.5 m. [15]
In addition to the bee species we mentioned, there were other types of bees that no longer inhabit the planet and are considered extinct:
There are six types of bees native to the Brazilian territory
Bees are small animals, but extremely important to maintain the balance of planet Earth, due to their important functions, being pollination the most important. For example, in Animal Expert we offer you more information about these small hymenoptera explaining what would happen if the bees disappeared.
Tip: If you liked this article, also find out how the ants are reproduced.
If you want to read articles similar to Bee Types: species, features and photos, we recommend that you visit our Curiosities section of the animal world.