The African Honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata) is one of the most common insects to see during the winter at Ingwelala, particularly near the flowering aloes on the reserve and in camp.
Being one of the smaller bee species seen here, this species is identifiable by the characteristic yellow-and-black striping and smaller body size, averaging 19mm in length.
Although not classified as a threatened species, there has been a decline in honeybee populations due to ongoing threats such as habitat destruction, increases in pests and diseases, and the misuse of pesticides.
Did you know?
- Honeybees communicate using a unique method. When a food source has been found, a worker bee will return to the colony and perform a calculated dance to show the other bees where to navigate to, to find the food source. In a figure-of-eight pattern, the number and the angle of the turns indicates distance and bearing from the hive!
Fun Fact:
- Honeybees feed on nectar and pollen, and have an electrostatic charge on their hairs to attract pollen. Once the pollen is on the body, the bees use a “pollen brush” found on the legs to scrape the pollen into a “pollen basket” housed on the rear of the leg.
- Honeybees also have five eyes in total, and almost 7,000 lenses in the main compound eyes, of which there are two!
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Tess Woollgar.