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Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

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Genus Apis - Honey Bees

Representative Images

Apis mellifera? - Apis mellifera italian honey bee - Apis mellifera - female Honey Bee - Lateral - Apis mellifera Drone bee - Apis mellifera - male Bees on Oxalis - Apis mellifera Unknown bee. Couldn't get the best angle - Apis mellifera honey bee? - Apis mellifera - female She's in Knotweed - Apis mellifera - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees)
Family Apidae (Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees)
Subfamily Apinae (Honey, Bumble, Longhorn, Orchid, and Digger Bees)
Tribe Apini (Honey Bees)
Genus Apis (Honey Bees)

Other Common Names

honeybees, stinging honey bees, true honey bees

Explanation of Names

Apis Linnaeus, 1758
apis (L). 'honeybee'

Numbers

A single (introduced) species in our area, 7 spp. worldwide/total(1)
Apis mellifera

Remarks

The ability to store honey reserves means workers can keep the hive warm by vibrating their wing muscles on cold days and nothing has to go dormant- so they're often out and about in early spring. Taken from a comment by Chuck Entz, 11 April, 2009.

Works Cited

1.Ascher J.S., Pickering J. (2024) Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 29 March, 2004 - 10:02pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Ted Kropiewnicki, John S. Ascher, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, Nathaniel Green
Last updated 2 February, 2021 - 4:16pm

BERJAYA

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