Killer Bee
Apis mellifera scutellata
An aggressive bee that attacks en masse
The killer bee is a hybrid of European and African honeybees. It looks almost identical to an ordinary honeybee but is far more aggressive — when disturbed it pours out of the hive and chases intruders for great distances.
Key figures
- Length
- About 10–15 mm
- Aggression
- Attacks in a swarm and can chase for hundreds of metres
- Life cycle
- Colonies are active year-round; the queen lays over a thousand eggs a day
- Habitat
- Warm regions of Central and South America and the southern United States
- Diet
- Nectar and pollen
- Feature
- Looks almost exactly like the Western honeybee
Life cycle
Egg → Larva → Pupa → Adult
Ecological role
It pollinates like a normal honeybee, but its aggression makes it a feared invasive species.
Did you know
The name "killer bee" overstates it — a single sting is weak; deaths come from being stung by a swarm.
Range
Central and South America, southern United States
Status
Common; invasive species
Anatomy
- Stinger — Barbed — it tears out after stinging and kills the worker
- Pollen basket — The hollow on the hind-leg tibia used to carry pollen
- Wings — Forewings and hindwings lock into one surface, beating fast
- Compound eye — Senses ultraviolet light to spot the nectar guides on flowers
- Antenna — Senses odour and vibration, the colony's main communication organ
- Thorax — Bears two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs
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