Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758

Abeja productora de miel, Abeja melífera, Honey bee

Apis mellifera found in Santa Cruz Island. Photo: Carlos Espinosa/CDF. — *Apis mellifera* found in Santa Cruz Island. Photo: Carlos Espinosa/CDF.

First report: On September 11, 2025, a swarm of bees was observed on a light pole on Santa Cruz Island. In response, personnel from the Agencia de Regulación y Control de la Bioseguridad y Cuarentena para Galápagos (ABG) immediately carried out control actions, collected samples, and sent them to the laboratory for identification. On September 17, 2025, Lic. Erika Guerrero, Head of the Entomology Laboratory, identified the bee using taxonomic keys, determining that the species corresponds to Apis mellifera.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Hymenoptera

Suborder
Apocrita

Superfamily
Apoidea

Family
Apidae

Section
Apini

Genus
Apis

Species
mellifera

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 2025

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Quarantine species

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Santa Cruz

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This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Apis mellifera", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=19355. Accessed 6 April 2026.