Scientific Name of Honey Bee
Honey Bees belong to the Apidae family and mainly they are flying insects along with that they show the highest level of organization. They are often involved in forming large colonies with very complex hierarchies i.e. queens, reproductive males, workers, etc. The native place of Honey Bees is mainly Eurasia and is also found in other continents by humans. It is believed that all breeds of Honey Bee produce honey and among them, the maximum amount of honey is produced by Apis mellifera. The mode of communication in Honey Bees is by dancing. They show their movement deliberately across its honeycomb by which to transport nectar and pollen to other worker bees. We all think that all Honey Bees sting but the truth is that only the female sting as the stinger is technically the ovipositor – or the egg-laying organ.
Honeybee which has the common genus name Apis is a social insect. It is called a social insect as it lives as colonies of about 50,000 or even more bees. They feed on vegetables and depend on the pollen and nectar provided by the flowers. The relationship between flowers and the Honey Bee is of mutualism as both of them are benefiting from each other. The honeybees are the largest pollinators of this world. The larvae of the honeybees do not have legs and hence, they depend on the nursing workers who feed them until the time of pupation. The adults consume honey and the young ones are given pure pollen or pollen mixed with honey and water which gives a paste called the bee-bread. The honeybees best thrive in gardens and forests but they can be noticed in other places as well.
They live in a colony that is highly organized and every member has a unique duty to fulfill. The colony is composed of the queen bee, workers, and drones. There is an equal division of labor in the colony. In India, there are 3 species of honeybees namely Apis Florea, Apis dorsata, and Apis indica. The other species are also found namely Apis Mellifera or the European bee in Europe. Similarly, Apis adamsoni or African bees can be found in North Africa. Apis dorsata which is also known as Rock bee is found in India and is the largest honeybee measuring about 20 mm. They prepare large honeycombs which measure about 1-meter x 1.4 meters and build them on caves, walls, and parts of some buildings. These insects are migratory in nature and swarm around the hills during the month of June and July and then return during the winter season to the plains.
Classification of Honey Bee:
The scientific name of the Honey Bee is Apidae corbiculata.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Clade: Corbiculata
Scientific Names of Various Species of Honey Bee:
Western/ European Honey Bee – Apis mellifera
Asiatic/ Asian Honey Bee – Apis cerana
Red dwarf Honey Bee – Apis florea
Black dwarf Honey Bee – Apis andreniformis
General Features of Honey Bee:
Some of the common features of the Honey Bee are discussed below:
Their body is in segmented form and divided into stinger, legs, antenna, three segments of the thorax, and six visible segments of the abdomen.
Their head consists of eyes, antennae, and feeding structures.
Culture of Honey Bee:
The scientific culture of the Honey Bee is known as apiculture. As we all know, bees have their own ecological and economical importance. Honey is used as a source of food, medicine, cosmetics, source of antioxidants, and many more. Because of these reasons, the culturing of honey is done. So in these practices, bees are kept under proper care and management, and in return, honey gives honey and wax. This practice of breeding bees is done under proper apiaries where beehives can be placed for their proper growth and development.
One Word Answer:
Honey Bees which lay eggs is known as:
Ans. Queen
Culturing of the Honey Bee is known as:
Ans. Apiculture
Area, where honey hives are found, is known as:
Ans. Apiaries
To which genus do Honey Bees belong?
Ans. Apis.
FAQs on Honey Bee Scientific Name
1. What is the scientific name of the most common honey bee?
The scientific name for the most widespread species, the Western or European honey bee, is Apis mellifera. This is the species most commonly managed by beekeepers for honey production and crop pollination worldwide.
2. What are the scientific names for the main honey bee species found in India?
Yes, India has several native honey bee species. The most common ones include:
- The Indian hive bee, Apis cerana indica.
- The giant rock bee, Apis dorsata.
- The red dwarf honey bee, Apis florea.
3. What is the full scientific classification of a honey bee?
The honey bee is classified within the animal kingdom. Its taxonomic hierarchy is:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Family: Apidae
- Genus: Apis
4. Can you explain the main roles within a honey bee colony?
A honey bee colony has a highly organised social structure with three types of bees:
- The Queen: She is the only fertile female and is responsible for laying all the eggs in the colony.
- The Workers: These are sterile females that perform all essential tasks like collecting food, building the hive, and caring for the young.
- The Drones: These are male bees whose primary function is to mate with a new queen.
5. What is the importance of apiculture, or beekeeping?
Apiculture is the practice of raising and caring for honey bees. It is important for two main reasons. Firstly, it allows for the harvesting of valuable products like honey and beeswax. Secondly, and more critically, it supports agriculture through pollination, which is essential for the growth of many fruits, vegetables, and other crops.
6. Why is it incorrect to use the term 'botanical name' for a honey bee?
The term 'botanical name' specifically refers to the scientific names of plants. Since honey bees are animals, the correct term for their scientific name is 'zoological name' or simply 'scientific name'. Each kingdom of life has its own naming conventions.
7. How do honey bees communicate the exact location of flowers to other bees?
Honey bees use a remarkable form of communication called the 'waggle dance'. A returning forager bee performs this dance inside the hive. The angle of the dance relative to gravity indicates the direction of the food source in relation to the sun, while the duration of the waggle part of the dance signals how far away it is.
8. If both are female, what is the key biological difference between a queen bee and a worker bee?
The key difference is both developmental and functional. While both start as identical female larvae, the future queen is fed a special diet of royal jelly. This triggers full development of her reproductive organs, making her fertile. Worker bees receive a different diet, which leaves them sterile and equipped for labour, not reproduction.
