Apis mellifera

Apis mellifera

The honey bee, Apis mellifera (European Honey Bee, Western Honey Bee), is one of several species of bees in the family Apidae, that produce honey. They are native to Europe and Africa, but now is distributed worldwide, because of their use in beekeeping. There are about 28 dozen recognized subspecies of Apis mellifera.
In Pakistan, thee are four species of honey bees. In which 3 species Apis dorsata, Apis cerana, and Apis florea are indigenous. The forth species Apis mellifera, is imported and established in Pakistan.
Beekeeping is a profitable business in Pakistan. About 7,000 beekeepers are now rearing exotic species, Apis mellifera in the modern beehives. There are about 300,000 colonies producing 7,500 metric ton honey annually. Congenial climate conditions and bee flora in the country provide excellent opportunities for the expansion of beekeeping. Honeybee flora is present on vast areas in all the provinces including Northern areas, FATA and AJK and can support 1,000,000 honeybee colonies. Pakistan Agricultural Research Counci (PARC), is playing an important role by providing training to the individuals and groups of various organizations and also arrange special training courses on request.

Source: Pakistan Agricultural Research Council

Apis mellifera

Honey Bee Stings

Honey Bee Stings

Apis cerana-Asian Honey Bee

Apis cerana, commonly known as the Asian honey bee or the Eastern honey bee is a species of honey bee (Family: Apidae, Subfamily: Apinae) found in southern and southeastern Asia. This species is the sister species of Apis koschevnikovi, and both are in the same subgenus as the Western (European) honey bee, Apis mellifera. There are eight subspecies of A. cerana currently recognized. They are about 10mm long. They prefer to nest in cavities, such as hollowed out tree trunks. They make multiple comb. Their honey yield is smaller, because they form smaller colonies. They are not aggressive, but any attempt to open the nest, will cause bees to fly out and sting the intruder.

Apis cerana - Asian Honey Bee

Rainbow Bee

Rainbow Bee (Nomia sp.) is a species of bee in the family Halictidae. The species' name is referring to the red and green reflections on the blue bands. Rainbow Bee is an important pollinator.  It visits our eggplants very frequently.

Rainbow Bee

Insect Pollinators

Biodiversity associated with crops is due to an element i.e., pollinators. Pollinators plays an important role in agricultural and natural ecosystem. Pollination is an essential phenomenon for plants for reproduction hence pollinators i.e., to ensure reproduction, help the plant in fruit development and very widely helps in dispersal. In agricultural field, pollinators and pollination is important to maximize the crop yield or improve crop both as qualitatively and quantitatively. Hybrids are being formed using conventional and genetic techniques to bring improvement in plant quality and quantity, but pollination is at its back without which no hybrid formation can occurs. In response of pollinators, plant provide them nesting and food resources. Insects and other animals are approximately 80% of plants pollinators. Honey bees, managed bumble bees and solitary bees are also pollinators of certain crops, in spite of these, while wild bees are also there to pollinate the crops. With special reference of Asia, the domesticated honey bees and Apis mellifera are considered best pollinators, but, honey bees up to some extent are not effective pollinators for many crops here. Bees can easily pass pollen from one plant to the other but they are not always useful to mankind and become a cause of invasive weeds spreading. Bees can also exploit agents that help in biological control of pests. So, pollination is considered a very important process for the production of native plants, which can be used for restoration of wild lands and also in the development of interspecific and intraspecific hybrids and without the help of pollinators these outcomes can never be achieved.
Article credit: Hina Waheed M.Sc Genetics

Insect Pollinators

White-banded Digger Bee

 The White-banded Digger Bee (Amegilla quadrifasciata) is a species of solitary bees belonging to the family Apidae, subfamily Apinae. They have a body length up to 12 mm long. The thorax is densely hairy, while the abdomen alternate black and white stripes. They have large bulging eyes, their long probosces allow them to sip nectar from a variety of flowers and the hairy hind legs facilitate the collection and transport of pollen. They excavate nest in loose soils. The nest is provisioned with pollen and nectar, as food for their larvae.

White-banded Digger Bee (Amegilla quadrifasciata)

Red Dwarf Honey Bee-Apis florea

The red dwarf honey bee (Apis florea) is a species of small, wild honey bees in the family Apidae, genus Apis, subgenus Micrapis. It's found in southern and southeastern Asia. The honey of this species is considered the best and is very expensive as compare to the honey of other species, particularly domesticated honey bees. In our area the population of Apis florea have been decreased by about 80 percent in the last 15 years. According to the local people this drastic decrease is due to domesticated honey bees, which pest on them. The other common reason which comes in my mind is the excessive spray of pesticides. Last year I observed only one nest, which you see in the last photo.

Red Dwarf Honey Bee-Apis florea

Red Dwarf Honey Bee Queen

Red Dwarf Honey Bee Hive

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bee

Carpenter bees ( genus: Xylocopa, subfamily: Xylocopinae, family: Apidae) are solitary bees i.e they live individually rather then colonies. However some species have tendency to live in simple social group. They have large (up to one inch) hairy bodies and found in shiny black, yellow or metallic blue color. They are named carpenter bees because they bore tunnels in wood to make their nests. They feed on pollen and nectar from flowers and thus play an important role in pollination of flowers and trees. However they also damage wood. Their damage to wood initially is minor, however repeated use for many years of the same wood can eventually cause considerable wood damage as they enlarge an existing burrows. The male bee does not have a stinger and thus are harmless to human. The female carpenter bee does have a stinger, but sting only if captured or handled.

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bee Nest

Carpenter Bee Stinger

Teddy Bear Bee

Teddy Bear Bee (Amegilla cingulata) is an Australian native bee. It belongs to the anthophoridae family of insects. They have golden-brown or yellowish-brown colored furry body with black stripes across the abdomen. It's a solitary bee that nests in shallow burrows in the ground.

Teddy Bear Bee

Bumble bee

A bumblebee (or bumble bee) is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species of bumblebees. Bumblebees are social insects that live in colonies. Bumblebees are characterized by black and yellow body hairs, often in bands. However, some species have orange or red on their bodies, or may be entirely black. Bumblebees feed on nectar.

Bumble bee (Bombus)

Pictures of Honey Bees

Pictures of Honey Bees