The honeybee is not a single species but a collective term for members of the genus Apis. These social insects are recognized for their colony structure and honey production. Understanding the modern distribution of these bees requires looking far back into evolutionary time and tracing their history alongside human civilization. Pinpointing the geographic and temporal origin of the honeybee involves ancient continental shifts, natural diversification, and intentional human transport.
Tracing the Evolutionary Origin of the Apis Genus
The deep ancestry of the genus Apis is rooted in the tropical regions of Asia. Phylogenetic studies suggest that the ancestral home of honeybees was Southeast Asia, particularly the area known as Sundaland. This conclusion is supported because all extant Apis species, except for the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera), remain native to Asia. The diversification of the entire genus is estimated to have begun in the late Miocene, approximately 16 million years ago (MYA).
The honeybee lineage initially split into three distinct clades: the dwarf honeybees (Micrapis), the giant honeybees (Megapis), and the cavity-nesting species (Apis subgenus). The dwarf bees represent the earliest divergence within the genus. The most ancient forms of honeybees were widespread across the Asian tropics, establishing the region as the initial center of origin for the entire group. It was from this ancestral Asian homeland that one lineage, the precursor to Apis mellifera, eventually began its westward migration.
Natural Divergence of Apis mellifera Subspecies
The Western honeybee, Apis mellifera, emerged as a distinct species relatively recently in the genus’s history. It diverged from its cavity-nesting sister species, Apis cerana, between 6 and 25 MYA. The species subsequently expanded its range westward, colonizing vast territories across the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. This expansion led to significant genetic and morphological variation, resulting in the identification of over 30 distinct subspecies.
The A. mellifera species is grouped into four primary evolutionary lineages: the African (A), the Western European (M), the Eastern European/Mediterranean (C), and the Middle Eastern (O). The precise location of the earliest diversification of A. mellifera remains debated, with evidence suggesting an origin in western Asia or a subsequent diversification center in Northeastern Africa or the Middle East. Genetic studies indicate that African populations retain a high level of genetic diversity, supporting the idea of Africa being a significant center for their prolonged evolution.
The divergence of the African and Eurasian lineages separated the two groups by an estimated 250,000 years ago. The European lineages (M and C) arose from two separate waves of colonization out of this secondary center of origin, adapting to the cooler, temperate climates. The M-lineage, which includes the dark European honeybee (A. m. mellifera), colonized Western Europe. The C-lineage, including the Italian and Carniolan bees, spread through Eastern and Southern Europe. This natural spread established the honeybee’s pre-human native range across all of Africa, Europe, and parts of Western Asia.
Human Transport and Global Dispersal
The final phase of the honeybee’s expansion was entirely driven by human activity. Before European colonization, no species from the genus Apis existed in the Americas or Australia. European settlers, recognizing the value of honey and wax production, began transporting colonies of the Western honeybee outside its native Afro-Eurasian range for beekeeping purposes.
The first documented introduction of A. mellifera to the New World occurred in North America in the early 1600s. These early imports were primarily the dark European honeybee (A. m. mellifera), which struggled to adapt to climates outside of Europe. Later, more docile and productive subspecies, such as the Italian bee (A. m. ligustica) and the Carniolan bee (A. m. carnica), were imported and became the dominant stock in North America and Australia. Australia received its first documented introduction in 1822.
A significant human introduction occurred in South America in 1956 when the African subspecies Apis mellifera scutellata was brought to Brazil to breed a tropical honeybee. However, 26 colonies escaped quarantine the following year. These escaped African bees hybridized with the existing European stock, creating the highly adaptable and defensive “Africanized honey bee.” This hybrid population then spread rapidly, migrating naturally across South and Central America and into the southern United States.