Taxonomy
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Apis
Species: Apis mellifera
Conservation Status of the Species in Portugal and Worldwide
Portugal
World
Features and
Habits
In terms of length, the queen is around 2 cm, the workers around 1.5 cm, and the drones around 1.7 cm. In terms of characteristics, they have a segmented body covered in three parts, usually yellow or brown with black stripes. They have two pairs of wings, although it's not very noticeable; the front wings are larger than the hind wings. They also have antennae.
The colony is hierarchical, consisting of a queen, the only female that reproduces in the colony, worker bees (sterile females that perform all functions such as collecting nectar and pollen, caring for the larvae, and defending the colony), and finally drones (males whose function is to mate with the queen). Worker bees and drones feed on nectar, pollen, and honey, while the queen and larvae feed on royal jelly. They reproduce around spring and summer, with the queen laying eggs. Fertilized eggs become worker bees or queens, and unfertilized eggs become drones. After hatching, the larvae are fed royal jelly for three days, after which the worker bees and drones are fed honey and pollen, and the future queens continue to receive royal jelly. After about six days, the cells are sealed, and the larvae undergo metamorphosis. The entire process takes 21 days for worker bees, 24 days for drones, and 16 days for queens.
Habitat and Distribution
It is a common bee species generally dispersed throughout the country. It prefers a wide variety of habitats, from forests to urban areas, as long as there are flowers. They live in hives, which are permanent colonies. Although seen in various habitats, it is most easily observed in beekeeping areas.
