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Close up of a honeybee

European honey bee

European honey bees have been introduced to nearly all parts of the world by humans, but they are thought to have originated in India. Their colonies are long-lasting and may last for many years. The bees live on stored reserves of food and huddle together in a large mass during cold winter weather. The drones are turned outside in autumn to die once their reproductive role is over.

Scientific name: Apis mellifera

Rank: Species

Common names:

Western honey bee

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Distribution

The European honey bee can be found in a number of locations including: Africa, Asia, Australia, China, Europe, North America, Russia, South America, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the European honey bee distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

About

The western honey bee or European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a species of honey bee. The genus Apis is Latin for "bee", and mellifera comes from Latin melli- "honey" and ferre "to bear"—hence the scientific name means "honey-bearing bee". The name was coined in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus who, upon realizing the bees do not bear honey, but nectar, tried later to correct it to Apis mellifica ("honey-making bee") in a subsequent publication. However, according to the rules of synonymy in zoological nomenclature, the older name has precedence. As of October 28, 2006, the Honey Bee Genome Sequencing Consortium fully sequenced and analyzed the genome of Apis mellifera.

In 2007, media attention focused on colony collapse disorder, a decline in European honey bee colonies in various parts of the world.

Read more at Wikipedia

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Classification

  1. Life
  2. Animals
  3. Arthropods
  4. Insects
  5. Ants, bees and wasps
  6. Bees
  7. Apis
  8. European honey bee

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