Western honey bee
Apis mellifera
The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the most economically important social insect from the family Apidae, domesticated by humans and distributed worldwide. It lives in large colonies consisting of a single fertile queen (17–22 mm), thousands of sterile female workers (11–15 mm), and seasonal males called drones (14–16 mm). Its slender, hairy body is dark brown with yellowish or grayish abdominal bands, and worker bees possess specialized pollen baskets (corbiculae) on their hind legs. This species inhabits apiary hives as well as hollow trees in the wild, thriving wherever flowering plants are abundant. Honey bees feed on nectar, pollen, and honeydew, playing a vital role in pollinating agricultural crops and wild flora. They produce honey, beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly, overwintering together inside the hive in a tight thermoregulating cluster.