A note on distribution and nesting of the Himalayan honey bee Apis laboriosa Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The Himalayan honey bee Apis laboriosa, largest of four proposed Megapis, has a distribution in Nepal Himalaya not overlapping with A. dorsata. The former establishes nests at 2500-3200 m and forages at up to 4100 m. The two species apparently nest in very distinct zones, although foraging and mating areas may overlap slightly in Assam Himalaya. A. laboriosa collected at flowers during July 11-September 13, 1983 and 1984 was most common at 3000-3500 meters (mean = 3143 m). This bee builds exposed nests under rock ledges in deep, vertical river valleys, thus probably avoiding predation by bears. Temperatures in this region, north of the 27th parallel, often reach freezing and this bee is the only non-tropical honey bee species.