Apis nigrocincta
| Philippine honey bee | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Apis |
| Species: | A. nigrocincta |
| Binomial name | |
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Apis nigrocincta F. Smith, 1861 |
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| Range of Apis nigrocincta | |
Apis nigrocincta is a species of honey bee that inhabits the Philippine island of Mindanao as well as the Indonesian islands of Sangihe and the Celebes or Sulawesi. The species is known to have queens with high mating frequencies, the most of any species of the tribe Apini.
It is a middle-sized species of the tribe Apini, compared to the larger A. dorsata or smaller A. florea.
Apis nigrocincta is part of subfamily Apinae within the Hymenopteran family Apidae. Apidae is the largest family of bees consisting of over 5,600 species, with the only bees that are colonized by humans for honey production.
The subfamily Apinae includes a majority of the honey bee species, with 19 tribes; A. nigrocincta is part of Apini. Unlike the stingless honeybees of genus Meliponini, A. nigrocincta is part of the genus Apis of true honeybees. The genus Apis is split into three major lineages – dwarf, giant, and cavity-nesting honeybees. Apis nigrocincta is a cavity-nesting species and is most related to Apis cerana, Apis koschevnikovi, and Apis nuluensis.
The bees have a hind wing length ranging anywhere from 5.5 mm to 5.9 mm, and a hind wing width within the range of 1.35 mm to 1.5 mm. The bees have rust-colored scapes, legs, and cylpeuses, with reddish-tan hair color that covers most of the body.
A. nigrocincta has a proboscis characteristic to those of the tribe Apis. The proboscis is characterized by a tube around the glossa formed by the flat galae and basal segments of the labial palpi. Liquids are brought to the mouth through the tube by a back and forth movement of the glossa, capillary action, and suction through the mouth. The proboscis is stored in a large groove on the underside of the head, known as the proboscidial fossa, when not in use. Pollen is carried by scopal hairs on the underside of the abdomen or on the hind legs. Teeth and carinae are not present in the mandibles of workers. In females, the claws are cleft and ariola are present. The hind tibia and flabellum are similar to the tribe Bombus.
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Wikipedia