Oriental Honeybee

Description:

Apis cerana Fabricius, 1793, of family Apidae, subfamily Apinae, tribe Apini, called the Asiatic/Asian Honey Bee, Eastern Honey Bee, Oriental Honey Bee, is a species of honey bee found in Southern and Southeastern Asia. Eight subspecies of A. cerana are currently recognized. Apis cerana indica Fabricius, is the ssp existing in the Philippines. A. cerana indica have black stripes on their abdomen and they live close to hilly areas but also seen sometimes in plain regions. In the Philippines, wild colonies of the Asian honeybee A. cerana are abundant. Colonies are found in hollow trunks and crevices. They also inhabit man-made structures including cupboards, ceilings, discarded tires and pots. The transfer of colonies into hives makes management easier, allowing honey and pollen harvesting and crop pollination. A. cerana are less aggressive than any wild bees and also have less swarming behavior and can be easily used for beekeeping.

Habitat:

Spotted in the garden of Monte Maria, a church located on a hill near a vast pasture land in Alfonso Cavite, just outside Tagaytay.

Notes:

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apis_cerana... http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A... http://www.flickr.com/photos/29697818@N0... http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/upload...