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Systematics

apis, phylogeny

Phylogenetic tree of genus Apis [1].

Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Infraorder: Aculeata
Superfamily: Apoidea
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Apidae
Genus: Apis
Subgenus: Apis
Species: Apis mellifera

see also Taxonomy
Honey bee belongs to the genus Apis. Characteristic feature of this genus is vertical wax comb with hexagonal cells on its both sides. See also [2].

In the genus Apis there are three extant subgenera and eight extant species:
subgenus: Micrapis Ashmead

  • Apis andreniformis Smith
  • Apis florea Fabricius

subgenus: Megapis Ashmead

  • Apis dorsata Fabricius
  • Apis laboriosa Smith

subgenus: Apis Linnaeus

  • Apis cerana Fabricius
  • Apis koschevnikovi Enderlein
  • Apis mellifera Linnaeus
  • Apis nigrocincta Smith

References

  1. Raffiudin R., Crozier R.H. (2007) Phylogenetic analysis of honey bee behavioral evolution. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 43:543–552.
  2. Engel M.S., Schultz T.R. (1997) Phylogeny and behavior in honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 90:43–53.
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