Honey bee

Definition

Any eusocial bee of the genus Apis (family Apidae), characterized by perennial colonial nests with wax comb, surplus food storage as honey, and morphologically differentiated castes (queen, workers, drones). The western honey bee Apis mellifera is the most widely managed pollinator globally, while other species such as A. cerana, A. dorsata, and A. florea are regionally significant in Asia.

Etymology

From Middle English 'hony' (honey) + 'bee', referring to the species' distinctive production of stored honey from regurgitated nectar.

Example

Apis mellifera workers forage on diverse floral resources, communicating food locations through the waggle dance, while the colony maintains year-round brood rearing in temperate climates by clustering and metabolizing honey stores.

Synonyms

• Apis

Related Terms

• Apis mellifera
• eusocial
• pollination
• colony
• Queen
• Worker
• drone
• Propolis
• Royal jelly
• Beeswax
• Varroa mite
• Africanized honey bee

Usage Notes

In strict entomological usage, 'honey bee' refers specifically to Apis species; the term is sometimes applied loosely to other nectar-storing bees (e.g., stingless bees of Meliponini), but this is imprecise. Distinguish from 'honeybee' (often used in lay writing) and from solitary bees that do not produce surplus honey stores. The genus Apis comprises approximately 8–11 recognized species with A. mellifera and A. cerana as the primary managed species.