CLASSIFICATION OF APIS INDICA (HONEY BEE)
KINGDOM :- ANIMALIA (Multicellular eukaryotic organisms)
PHYLUM :- ARTHROPODA (Jointed appendages.)
CLASS :- INSECTA (3 pairs of legs.)
ORDER :- HYMENTOPTERA (2 pairs of wings.)
FAMILY :- APIDAE (Wings develop externally.)
GENUS :- Apis
SPECIES :- indica
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
It is one of the predominant bees found and domesticated in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and mainland Asia.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Honey bee is a social and colonial insect living nests or bee hives. It is a polymorphic insect existing in worker, queen and drove. One hive contains 50,000 to 80,000 individuals. It shows caste system mentioned above.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF APIS INDICA (HONEY BEE)
- Commonly called as Honey bee.
- Body divisible into head, thorax and abdomen in all castes.
- Queen is largest and fertile. Worker is smallest – Head triangular, containing compound eyes in dorsolateral position and many jointed antennae besides ocelli.
- Clypeus, labrum and other mouth parts visible in lateral position. Mouth parts are rasping and lapping type.
- Thorax is divided into prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax each containing a pair of legs. Prothoracic leg contains eye brush, velum or fibula, antennae comb and pollen brush. Mesothoracic leg contains spur, pollen brush and pulvillus. Metathoracic leg contains pollen basket, pollen comb. Thorax contains a pairs of wings.
- Abdomen has 6 segments. Last segment contain sting. Ventral surface of last four segments contains wax plates and wax glands. Spiracles are found over abdomen.
- Workers act as repairers, store keepers, cleaners, nector (honey) collectors and defenders.
- Drones are male members. They fertilize the eggs laid by queen. They do not do any work.
PHOTOS BY :- SHUBHAM PUROHIT (https://www.instagram.com/the_lostwolf11/)
ECONOMIC VALUE
Apis indica produces honey and wax for various useful purposes. Honey has medical importance.
IDENTIFICATION
The insect is polymorphic, worker has pollen basket and all above features, hence it is Apis indica.
