Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
There are between 28-33 recognized subspecies of honey bee that inhabit every continent on earth except Antarctica. None of these subspecies are native to the Americas and the honey bees that can be found in the wilds of California are generally feral Italian honey bees, as this subspecies is largely used by commercial beekeepers to produce honey and as the main pollinator in agrobusiness. Although it is most likely not a pure bred as many beekeepers use hybrid versions of the Italians with different African varieties or other European varieties to increase their disease resistance or extreme weather shifts.
- Number of confirmed specimens : 5+
- Number of pictures : 2
References
Western honey bee, Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 April 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_honey_bee. Accessed 01 May 2026
List of Apis mellifera subspecies, Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Feb 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Apis_mellifera_subspecies. Accessed 01 May 2026