Apis andreniformis
| Apis andreniformis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Apocrita |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Apis |
| Subgenus: | Micrapis |
| Species: | A. andreniformis |
| Binomial name | |
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Apis andreniformis F. Smith, 1858 |
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| Range of Apis andreniformis | |
Apis andreniformis or the black dwarf honey bee is a relatively rare species of honey bee whose native habitat is the tropical and subtropical regions of southeast Asia.
A. andreniformis was the fifth honey bee species to be described of the seven known species of Apis. Until recently, however, the actual identity of the species was poorly understood. It was not recognized as its own species, but was instead considered to be a part of the species Apis florea. Recent studies have highlighted notable differences between the bees and have thus separated them into distinct species.
Apis andreniformis is a part of the family Apidae, which includes honey, cuckoo, carpenter, digger, bumble, and stingless bees. The genus Apis includes honey bees, the most common being Apis mellifera, otherwise known as the Western honey bee. A. andreniformis is most closely related to Apis florea, its sister species with which it is commonly seen in sympatric distribution throughout southeast Asia.
A. andreniformis can be distinguished from other Apis species by noting their dark black coloration, making them the darkest of their genus. Originally, it was thought that A. andreniformis was a part of the species A. florea, but recent studies have noted morphological differences that have separated the two. Some distinctions include: structural differences in the endophalli, a larger wing venation in A. andrenifromis, and a longer basitarsal extension in A. florea. Additionally, there are slight color variations between the two species. In A. andreniformis, its first two abdominal segments are black and its scutellum is yellow. In A. florea, the abdominal segments are reddish brown and their scutellum is black. Another distinguishing factor is the presence of black hairs on the tibia of A. andreniformis, which are white in A. florea.
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Wikipedia