Western Honey Bee Collecting Nectar Stock Photography

This is an Apis mellifera honey bee species, Apidae family. The most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. Common name: Western honey bee or European honey bee. The western honey bee can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Apis mellifera species was domesticated for honey production and crop pollination since 2600BC. The only other domesticated bee is the eastern honey bee (Apis cerana), which occurs in South, Southeast, and East Asia. In the 17th century, european colonists brought two subspecies to America: A. m. mellifera (the German honey bee) and A. m. ligustica (the Italian honey bee). The western honey bee is a very important pollinator of crops. Bees produce honey by collecting nectar, a clear liquid consisting of nearly 80 percent water and complex sugars. Honey is a biological mixture of inverted sugars, primarily glucose and fructose. Western honey bees are threatened by pests and diseases, especially the Varroa mite and colony collapse disorder. Observed near Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR), Petén department, northern Guatemala.