ABSTRACT
The nesting behaviour, structure and architecture of Apis florea are reviewed in terms of nesting sites, host plants, height of the nest from ground level, size of the supportive branch, orientation of nests, comb construction, comb dimensions and different zones in the comb. A. florea is usually found to nest in open conditions. The nesting sites of A. florea are usually arboreal and rarely terrestrial. Less frequently, the bees may build their nests in cavities. The habitats for A. florea are different for plain and hilly areas. The height of the A. florea nests from the ground level varies due to changes in the prevailing vegetation in different geographical areas that provide natural nesting places. In most cases, the colonies were observed on a wide range of plants/trees with covered canopy providing shade and having thin- to medium-sized tree limbs/branches at different elevations and directions. An A. florea nest consists of a vertical, single comb partitioned into a honey area called the crown, an underlying pollen area, followed by the brood area both uncapped egg and larval cells and capped pupal cells. The major challenge is the construction of the crown comb. A. florea is the only honeybee species recorded to salvage the wax from the crown portion of the comb.
