Apis florea [SEP] parent taxon
Apis florea
The dwarf honey bee (or red dwarf honey bee), Apis florea, is one of two species of small, wild honey bees of southern and southeastern Asia. It has a much wider distribution than its sister species, "Apis andreniformis". First identified in the late 18th century, "Apis florea" is unique for its morphology, foraging behavior and defensive mechanisms like making a piping noise. "Apis florea" have open nests and small colonies, which makes them more susceptible to predation than cavity
is later discovered to be unsuitable. This makes searching for new sites a much faster process for "A. florea", but not necessarily more accurate.
"Apis florea" are found in southeastern Asian countries, especially in Thailand, Iran, Oman, India, Myanmar, and some parts of China, Cambodia, and Vietnam. They live in forest habitats but they are also pollinators of tropical fruit crops in Thailand. "Apis florea" build exposed nests always with a single comb on a single branch. If they