| Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Other names: European honey bee, African honey bee (in part), Africanized honey bee (in part), killer bee (in part) |
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Apis mellifera is native to Europe, western Asia, and Africa; domesticated as early as 5,000 years ago in the Mediterranean. Purposefully introduced nearly worldwide; mainly represented by domesticated and feral populations; wild populations are rare, at least in Europe. This species is found in a variety of temperate and subtropical forests, grasslands, and semi-deserts. A. mellifera are eusocial insects, forming colonies with a single fertile female (queen), few fertile males (drones), and thousands of infertile females (workers). Workers are 12-16 mm in length; queens and drones are larger. Feral and wild colonies rely on tree cavities or man-made structures for nesting sites. The African killer bees (A. m. scutellata) are aggressive near their hives, and nomadic. Western honey bees feed on nectar and pollen of many cultivated and wild flowers (e.g., of Asteraceae), and feed pollen to the larvae; it is one of the most important crop pollinators. This species is threatened by commercial pesticides, parasites, and diseases.
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