Apis cerana

Asian honey bees are generally smaller than western honey bees.

Compared with the western honey bee, it has more prominent and consistent stripes on its abdomen.

The Asian honey bee's natural range stretches across temperate and tropical Asia, from Afghanistan in the west to Japan in the east.

It has been introduced outside its natural range, to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia.

In 2007, a nest of Asian honey bees was found in Cairns, Australia.

Wild colonies in Australia were reported to be rather small, averaging 2,182 bees and ranging from 41 to 10,706 bees.

Colonies can swarm, splitting to form new colonies, several times a year.

Colonies build several combs inside dark cavities, usually tree hollows, rock crevices, caves or spaces in houses.

Nests are usually close to the ground, no more than about 4 to 5 metres high.

On a single foraging trip, a forager tends to collect either pollen or nectar, not both, from a single plant species.

Tropical colonies are especially quick to abandon their nest (abscond) and to swarm.

Workers forage mostly within one kilometre of their hive.

People in Asia have kept this bee in many kinds of hives for thousands of years.

The Asian honey bee is a host of several Varroa mites, including Varroa destructor.