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ANIDEX
Western honey bee

Details

Western honey bee

Apis mellifera

Size
1–2 cm · 1 g
Diet
Herbivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Colony
Lifespan
1-5 years

The western honey bee is a social insect that uses forests, grasslands, farms, and urban edges. It is a diurnal herbivore that lives in large colonies.

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Key facts

  • Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a herbivore animal classified as Invertebrate · Hymenoptera · Apidae.
  • Primary habitats are forest · grassland · urban, with a range across Palearctic · Nearctic.
  • Activity is diurnal, sociality is colony, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
  • The western honey bee is a social insect that uses forests, grasslands, farms, and urban edges.
  • It occurs across Palearctic and Nearctic settings, including woodland, meadows, fields, and towns.
  • Typical lifespan: 1-5 years

Sources

Range

Habitat range map
Native rangeOccasional / Transient
PalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearctic

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Neighbors

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Western honey bee

Western honey bee

Apis mellifera

01

Common wasp

Common wasp

Vespula vulgaris

02

Asian giant hornet

Asian giant hornet

Vespa mandarinia

03

Details

Habitat

It occurs across Palearctic and Nearctic settings, including woodland, meadows, fields, and towns. Colonies use cavities, hives, or other protected spaces.

Appearance

Body length is about 1-2 cm, with weight around 1 g. Brown and yellow bands mark the body, and workers have legs adapted for carrying pollen.

Behavior

It is diurnal and lives in colonies with a queen, workers, and drones. Workers communicate food locations through specialized movements.

Feeding

It is treated as herbivorous, feeding mainly on nectar and pollen. Nectar is processed and stored in the colony as honey.

Reproduction

The queen lays eggs, and workers feed and tend the larvae. When new queens develop, part of the colony may swarm to form a new nest.

Notes

Its conservation status is LC. It is important in pollination, though the balance between managed and wild colonies varies by region.