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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees (Apidae) » Honey, Bumble, Longhorn, Orchid, and Digger Bees (Apinae) » Honey Bees (Apini) » Honey Bees (Apis) » Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Photo#338587
Dark Honey Bee - Apis mellifera
Copyright © 2009 Alice Cavette

Dark Honey Bee - Apis mellifera
Lake Elizabeth, Fremont, Alameda County, California, USA
August 5, 2009
Same as this?

Images of this individual: tag all
Dark Honey Bee - Apis mellifera Dark Honey Bee - Apis mellifera
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Alice Cavette on 29 September, 2009 - 3:28pm
Last updated 29 September, 2009 - 5:30pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Alice Cavette, 29 September, 2009 - 5:26pm login or register to post comments

I'm always second-guessing myself
on these darker honey bees--when I'm out there in the garden I just KNOW they're something different that I haven't seen before! They are remarkably beautiful though, aren't they?
… Gacko, 29 September, 2009 - 5:15pm login or register to post comments

 
dark honey bees
I know what you mean. I saw this black bee and was certain it had to be something other than a honey bee:
… Diane Wilson, 30 September, 2009 - 5:48am login or register to post comments

 
Dark Honey Bees
We have had a hive of honey bees in our attic for 27 years. They are all golden.

All these dark bees are at our local lake:
http://www.cavette.net/photos/lakeelizabeth/insects/bees.html#darkhoneybee

Are all the bees in a colony dark if any are dark? Are we 100% sure these are Apis mellifera?

Are these Apis mellifera mellifera - Black Honeybee?

Any other info anyone has on these darker bees?
… Alice Cavette, 30 September, 2009 - 8:50pm login or register to post comments

 
Bits and pieces of info here and at linked posts


Tip: Search BG on winter bee if you want more yet.
… Ron Hemberger, 30 September, 2009 - 9:24pm login or register to post comments

 
Crossbreed of Subspecies
Mine have no brown only black. More like the other one you posted.


I think they are the Apis mellifera mellifera x Apis mellifera ligustica crossbreed spoken of at Wikipedia.

I never knew the topic was so complex!
… Alice Cavette, 1 October, 2009 - 12:34pm login or register to post comments

Apis mellifera, Honeybee
They can be dark colored.

… Andrew Williams, 29 September, 2009 - 4:41pm login or register to post comments

 
Brave man!
I thought it a honey bee, but waffled on an ID. Sorry to chicken out, Alice, but there is a hero here!
… Ron Hemberger, 29 September, 2009 - 6:59pm login or register to post comments

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