Apis dorsata, the rock bee or giant honey bee, is a honey bee of South and Southeast Asia. They are typically around 17–20 mm (0.7–0.8 in) long and nests are mainly built in exposed places far off the ground, like on tree limbs, under cliff overhangs, and under buildings. These social bees are known for their aggressive defense strategies and vicious behavior when disturbed. Though not domesticated, indigenous peoples have traditionally used this species as a source of honey and beeswax, a practice known as honey hunting.
Image: Bidens Apis dorsata pollen baskets
Image: Honeybee on Mimosa pudica at Kadavoor
A nest of A. dorsata, consisting of a single exposed hanging comb: The bottom of the comb has a number of unoccupied hexagonal cells.
Close up of workers on a hive. The colony was being formed at the time of taking this image. Note the multiple layers of bees on top of each other.
Swarm behaviour, or swarming, is a collective behaviour exhibited by entities, particularly animals, of similar size which aggregate together, perhaps milling about the same spot or perhaps moving en masse or migrating in some direction. It is a highly interdisciplinary topic.
A flock of auklets exhibit swarm behaviour
Flocking birds are an example of self-organization in biology
Bees swarming on a tree
A 19th century depiction of a swarm of desert locusts
