African Honey Bees
AFRICANIZED HONEY BEES
Africanized Honeybees (Apis mellifera)
Africanized honeybees are commonly called killer bees. They are native to Europe and Africa and Asia. They are a mixture between Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera iberiensis. The Africanized honey bees in the Western Hemisphere are descended from queen bees (A. m. scutellata) accidentally released by a bee-keeper in 1957 near Rio Claro, São Paulo in from the southern part of Africa (Collet 2011). They were brought to southern Brazil, and have spread as far south as Northern Argentina, and northward throughout South and Central America, and Mexico. They entered the United States in southern Texas in 1990, Arizona and New Mexico in 1993, and California in 1994(Ellis 2009). There found mostly in Texas that you would find them, but you can also find them in Trinidad, Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Orleans (Ellis 2009). In 2009 Africanized honeybees were found in the south of Utah (Ellis 2009). Africanized honeybees don’t really get that big they are about ¾ of an inch in length and they are covered in fuzz (Kaplan 2004). The honey bees are found in Europe and Africa. The spread rate is about 200 miles a year (Ojar, 2002). Africanized honeybees will attack even when you’re not provoking them and they become large numbers very quickly. (Ojar, 2002).
Distribution of Apis mellifera scutelatta in the Americas in 1990.
The Classification:
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Anthophila (Apoidea) - Bees)
Family Apidae (Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees)
Subfamily Apinae (Honey, Bumble, Long-horned, Orchid, and Digger Bees)
Tribe Apini (Honey Bees)
Genus Apis
Species mellifera (Honey Bee)
Africanized Honeybees were imported from Africa to Brazil
Africanized Honeybees (Apis mellifera)
Africanized honeybees are commonly called killer bees. They are native to Europe and Africa and Asia. They are a mixture between Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera iberiensis. The Africanized honey bees in the Western Hemisphere are descended from queen bees (A. m. scutellata) accidentally released by a bee-keeper in 1957 near Rio Claro, São Paulo in from the southern part of Africa (Collet 2011). They were brought to southern Brazil, and have spread as far south as Northern Argentina, and northward throughout South and Central America, and Mexico. They entered the United States in southern Texas in 1990, Arizona and New Mexico in 1993, and California in 1994(Ellis 2009). There found mostly in Texas that you would find them, but you can also find them in Trinidad, Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Orleans (Ellis 2009). In 2009 Africanized honeybees were found in the south of Utah (Ellis 2009). Africanized honeybees don’t really get that big they are about ¾ of an inch in length and they are covered in fuzz (Kaplan 2004). The honey bees are found in Europe and Africa. The spread rate is about 200 miles a year (Ojar, 2002). Africanized honeybees will attack even when you’re not provoking them and they become large numbers very quickly. (Ojar, 2002).
Distribution of Apis mellifera scutelatta in the Americas in 1990.
The Classification:
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Anthophila (Apoidea) - Bees)
Family Apidae (Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees)
Subfamily Apinae (Honey, Bumble, Long-horned, Orchid, and Digger Bees)
Tribe Apini (Honey Bees)
Genus Apis
Species mellifera (Honey Bee)
Africanized Honeybees were imported from Africa to Brazil
Bibliography: • "Africanized Bee." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africanized_bee>. • "Africanized Honey Bee - Apis Mellifera Scutellata Lepeletier." UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGY AND NEMATOLOGY DEPARTMENT. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/bees/ahb.htm>. • "Africanized Honey Bee (AHB)." ACWM-HOME. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://acwm.co.la.ca.us/scripts/AHB.htm>. • Home. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://honeybee.tamu.edu/>. • "Honey Bee Research: Africanized Honey Bees." ARS: Home. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/docs.htm?docid=11059>. • "Honey Bee Research: Africanized Honey Bees." ARS: Home. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059>. • "Invasive Species: Animals - Africanized Honeybee (Apis Mellifera Scutellata)." National Invasive Species Information Center. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/afrhonbee.shtml>. • "Species Apis Mellifera - Honey Bee - BugGuide.Net." Welcome to BugGuide.Net! - BugGuide.Net. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://bugguide.net/node/view/3080>.