• Family: Apidae
• Approximate # of species in our region: 1
• Common name: honey bees

Apis is the genus of honey bees – out of six species in the world, only Apis mellifera, the European Honey Bee, can be found in North America. All Apis form highly social, perennial colonies with a strong division of labor between egg-laying queens and non-reproductive female workers. Few feral colonies of A. mellifera exist in our region; most honey bees colonies are kept by beekeepers. Given that honey bees have foraging distances of several miles, and highly generalized foraging preferences, it is expected to find honey bees on flowers on most outings close to where people live – indeed, it’s usually more noteworthy if honey bees are not spotted during a bee-watching outing!

Regional Species List: