Honey Bees of Borneo: Exploring the Centre of Apis Diversity

Honey Bees of Borneo is a reliable and fascinating guide to one of Borneo’s natural wonders: the diversity of honey bees, their intriguing societies and their adaptations to the complex tropical environment. The admirable harmony of their social life, the precision of their combs and the richness of their honey stores are described, as well as the honey bee’s defence strategies against strong bears, fast flying birds and minute mites.

An array of unique, spectacular photographs allows the reader to visit the giant honey bees (Apis dorsata) in the canopy of the highest Koompassia trees and witness painful bee stings penetrating deeper and deeper into the skin. Unique in the animal kingdom are magnificent assemblies of thousands of drones which, far from the safety of their nests, circle high in the air waiting for the arrival of a single virgin queen. The outstanding taste and quality honey of indigenous Asian bees is acknowledged and its unjustified degrading by honey standards of the western Apis mellifera is exposed.

Contents –
1. Why study Honey bees in Borneo?
2. Single-mother families with cryptic fathers
3. Who is who in Honey bees?
4. Fossil ancestors and extant relatives of Honey bees
5. A phylogeny in spite of missing evidence
6. Tropical mobility
7. Mating behaviour of Honey bees and reproduction
8. Food communication
9. Food resources
10. Colony defence against predators and parasites: a natural balance
11. Traditional honey-gathering
12. Keeping Apis dorsata for honey production
13. Keeping Apis cerana for honey production
14. Importation of Apis mellifera to Borneo
15. Equal rights for Asian honey.