Related topics: bees

DNA research finds low genetic diversity among US honeybees

U.S. agriculture owes many thanks to the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.), as it plays the crucial role of pollinator within the nation's food supply. Some of the nation's food industries rely solely on the honeybee, and it's ...

Vaccination for bees doesn't sting

Beekeepers could soon have a new option for protecting hives from a devastating disease: the first vaccine for insects.

New virus variant threatens the health of bees worldwide

A dangerous variant of the deformed wing virus is on the rise worldwide. The virus infects honeybees, causing their wings to atrophy and the animals to die. The new variant, which has already replaced the original strain ...

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Honey bee

Apis andreniformis Apis florea, or dwarf honey bee

Apis dorsata, or giant honey bee

Apis cerana, or eastern honey bee Apis koschevnikovi Apis mellifera, or western honey bee Apis nigrocincta

Honey bees (or honeybees) are a subset of bees, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis. Currently, there are only seven recognized species of honey bee with a total of 44 subspecies (Engel, 1999) though historically, anywhere from six to eleven species have been recognized. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the approximately 20,000 known species of bees. Some other types of related bees produce and store honey, but only members of the genus Apis are true honey bees.

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