In una bella giornata di sole a Pasqua dopo un pranzo al sacco in spiaggia ho deciso di fare due passi con il mio cane, questo ritaglio di uno scatto fatto mentre tenevo il guinzaglio con le gambe mentre il cane che tirava =)

Gymnastique au sein d'une fleur d'Hellébore (Hellebora argutifolius) : difficile d'atteindre les necaires!

Hymenoptera

Apidae

Apis mellifera

Parc Kellermann (15013), 20/02/2009

Another shot of Sungai Api-Api

Location: Pasir Ris, Singapore

Vidauban juin 2013

If I had photographed this guy (I'm sorry, it's actually a girl- a sterile female worker) ten years ago, I would have called her Apis florae and NOT Apis florea. I know- it's just a couple of letters switched around; but to a taxonomist, it makes a world of difference. (Actually, it doesn't make that big a difference, but it is quite significant and worth noting. )

As I was saying before I changed the topic and began talking about the significance and magnitude of the difference, the red dwarf honey bee and the black dwarf honey bee were only considered variations of one species- Apis florae. But now they have been divided into two separate species under the subgenus Micrapis- Apis florea and Apis andreniformis.

Even though this recent distinction was made official, many taxonomists and amateurs continue to treat these 2 species as a single one. Try this out (it works)(at least it works for me- Microsoft Word 2003): Type Apis florea in Microsoft Word and it automatically gets converted into Apis florae.