Bug FAQRed Dwarf Honey Bee
Apis florea · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Apidae
Also called: Asian dwarf honey bee, Dwarf Honey Bee
Source: Wikipedia
Red Dwarf Honey Bees are small (7 to 10 mm) red-brown bees that live in forests and pollinate tropical fruit crops in Thailand. Old workers always have a red first abdominal segment, while younger workers are paler; they are found across Southeast Asia and parts of the Middle East. Drones live about two weeks, queens live much longer, and the bees can sting using two stylet barbs.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The bee is overall red-brown, and old workers have a red first abdominal segment while younger workers are paler. It is redder than its sister species A. andreniformis, which has a completely black first abdominal segment in old bees.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
A worker measures about 7 to 10 mm in body length.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
They can sting using two stylet barbs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They live in forest habitats and also pollinate tropical fruit crops in Thailand.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They are excellent pollinators, playing an important ecological role where they occur.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Drone bees live on average 15.6 days, ranging from 6 to 41 days. Queens live much longer, matching the longevity of the colony.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
They are native to southeastern Asian countries such as Thailand, India, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, as well as Iran, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and parts of the Middle East.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
A. florea is redder, while A. andreniformis is generally darker with a completely black first abdominal segment in old workers.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do they look like?
They are red-brown, with old workers having a red first abdominal segment and younger workers appearing paler.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are they found?
They are native to Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, India, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and also occur in Iran, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Apidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apis_florea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.