| Indian black honey bee | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Apis |
| Species: | A. karinjodian
|
| Binomial name | |
| Apis karinjodian Shanas et al, 2022
| |
Apis karinjodian, the Indian black honey bee, is a species of genus Apis which was reported recently from India.[1] The currently known distribution of A. karinjodian covers nearly the entire Central to Southern Western Ghats, where it is endemic, and includes the ghat regions in the states of Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Goa.[1][2] The original paper discovering and describing this species also proposes that A. indica and A. cerana are distinct species, thus raising the total number of known cavity-nesting Honeybees in the Indian subcontinent to three, whereas before, A. indica was considered a subspecies of A. cerana.[2][1]
The researchers hope that the ability of A. karinjodian to produce higher quality honey will positively impact the apiculture industry of India. This species considered as near-threatened species as per the IUCN Red List.[2]
- ^ a b c Shanas, S.; Anju, Krishnan G.; Mashhoor, K. (2022-09-30). "Identity of cavity nesting honey bees of the Indian subcontinent with description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae: Apini: Apis)". Entomon. 47 (3): 197–220. doi:10.33307/entomon.v47i3.755. ISSN 0377-9335. S2CID 253393003.
- ^ a b c "New honeybee species, endemic to Western Ghats, found". The Hindu. November 4, 2022.