The European dark bee, scientific name Apis mellifera mellifera, is a subspecies of the western honey bee that evolved in central Asia, with a proposed origin in the Tien Shan Mountains, later migrating into eastern and then northern Europe after the last ice age beginning around 9000 BC. Its original range included the southern Urals in Russia and stretched through northern Europe to the Pyrenees, and it is one of two members of the M lineage of Apis mellifera, the other being found in western China. It was traditionally called the Black German Bee, though it is now considered endangered in Germany, and is more often named today for the region where it lives, such as the British black bee, the Native Irish honey bee, the Cornish black bee, or the Nordic brown bee, even though these are all the same subspecies. It was domesticated in Europe, and hives were carried to North America during the colonial era in 1622, where Native Americans referred to it as the English Fly. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or Extinct Comparison
NatureServe Rank CITES Appendix Scientific NameApis mellifera mellifera 6 Conservation Status Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Wikidata: European dark bee
In Biome
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Apis mellifera
Desert, Biomes Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Apis mellifera
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Apis mellifera
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyPrimary Diet, Apis mellifera
Primary Diet herbivore herbivore
Conservation Status: CITES
CITES No special status
In Biome: Desert, Habitat Regions, biome: desert or dune
desert or dune desert or dune
In Biome: Chaparral, Habitat Regions, biome: chaparral
chaparral chaparral
View the Source 2. GBIF Species API
3. Wikipedia: European dark bee
human-interaction (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)Quote, human-interaction (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
It was domesticated in Europe and hives were brought to North America in the colonial era in 1622 where they were referred to as the English Fly by the Native Americans.
View the Source 4. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ30034, descriptionView the Source 5. NatureServe Explorer: Apis mellifera
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "GNR"
View the Source 6. Wikipedia: European dark bee
Wikipedia
7. European dark bee (Wikipedia)
IntroductionQuote, Introduction
Traditionally they were called the Black German Bee, although they are now considered endangered in Germany. However today they are more likely to be named after the region in which they live, such as the British black bee, the Native Irish Honey Bee, the Cornish black bee and the Nordic brown bee, even though they are all the same subspecies, with the word "native" often inserted by local beekeepers, even in places where the bee is an introduced foreign species.
View the Source Wikidata: European dark bee
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