Apini

Definition

A tribe of eusocial bees in the subfamily Apinae (family Apidae) comprising the genus Apis and its extinct relatives. Members are characterized by perennial colonies, construction of vertical wax combs with hexagonal cells, and the production and storage of honey as a carbohydrate reserve. The tribe contains all extant honey bee species, including the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the eastern honey bee (Apis cerana), alongside several dwarf and giant honey bee species native to tropical Asia.

Etymology

From the type genus Apis (Latin 'bee') + taxonomic suffix -ini (denoting a tribe)

Example

The tribe Apini is distinguished from the related tribe Meliponini (stingless bees) by the presence of a barbed sting and open-air nesting behavior in several species such as Apis dorsata.

Related Terms

• Apidae
• Apinae
• Apis
• Honey bee
• Meliponini
• Bombini
• Euglossini

Usage Notes

Apini is a Linnaean tribe rank; in modern phylogenetic classifications, it remains monophyletic but nested within a broader corbiculate bee clade that also includes stingless bees (Meliponini), bumble bees (Bombini), and orchid bees (Euglossini). The tribe contains only one extant genus (Apis) but numerous fossil genera. Some authors use 'honey bees' informally for all Apini, though this can cause confusion with the common name of A. mellifera specifically.