Apis Dorsata - The Giant Honey Bee

Class Insecta

Family Apidae

Genus Apis

Species Dorsata

Common Name Giant Honey Bee

Distribution in India Mainly Forests 

The sweet syrupy liquor known as eleixir of life on Earth is present in the stores all over the World. It is part of the kitchens were it is used as a condiment and an ingredient of various recipes. It is also used as medicine. I remember in our childhood bitter powdery concoctions were mixed with honey to make them palatable. 

The bees are social insects and one fact that everyone remembers often from childhood onwards is the painful sting. In forests workers, photographers, naturalists and tourists are susceptible to being stung by hordes of these insects which often requires hospitalizations.

In forests like Sunderban where honey is the most desired minor forest produce they are a reason for man animal conflict the tiger being the cause of many deaths and injuries. The nests or combs are built in difficult to reach locations high up in a tree usually on a horizontal branch hanging in any direction.

Hence honey does not come without a price. You will come across many tribal and villagers selling honey which can be from this species or another. There are actually three sub species of apis dorsata while some honey bearing hives may belong to another species or genus. There are nine honey bee species within this genus with similar morphological, physiological and behavioral traits.

Social Hierarchy is in form of  Queen who mates with the drones or males. The latter are produced by the Queen during the reproductive season and leave the comb after that and go on to enter another comb and mate with the Queen in there. The queen is polyandrous and mates with many drones. During the nuptial flight it may in company of drones fly to another spot to colonize it thus initiating the process of propagation. The workers constitute the third group and smaller in size but greater in numbers.

The life cycle consists of four stages namely:

• Egg
• Pupa
• Larvae
• Adult

The adult pierce the wax coated chambers to exit and the go on to perform their duties in the comb. The population splits into two when it grows large and established another colony. For this their should be enough food available in the vicinity.

It is not possible to colonize apis dorsata in man made hives as they are open nest species. They nevertheless are economically beneficial besides being excellent polinating agents. They are spread all over Southern Asia and extensively in India.
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Uday works as a naturalist in India and loves to blog on wilderness.
Contact: pateluday90@hotmail.com
9755089323

Forest trees of Central India

Well renowned for it biodiversity the trees of the forest have been sidelined in favor of more charismatic mega fauna and birds. This blog gives a basic idea of some well known trees. Larger trees which dominate are Sal and Teak. The associates are Saaj, Salai, Tendu, Dhava, Harra, Bahera, Tinsa, Palas, Jamun, Char, Bel, Lyndia, Kosum, and more.

The Banyan Tree is present in almost all habitats, so is the Peepal tree, the Jack fruit is very popular for its edible fruit. The skeletal ghost tree or Kurlu is an amazing spectacle in the forest. The riverside tree is Arjun omnipresent near the nullahs and rivulets. It is an important element of water preservation system.    

The local trees are a boon to the communities that abound near the forests. Mahua is fine example of utility a liquor is made from its fruits which is nutrient rich. The butter derived from its seeds is edible and used by the locals. Many herbs and shrubs are part of the local medicine system invaluable for health care in inaccessible regions. Modern medicine also uses many derivatives of forest vegetation to create new drugs for health care.

Prolific growth of medicinal plants takes place in Pachmarhi. The is due the geography of the region with varying altitude, extant of sunlight and levels of humidity.

Peepal. Pakur and Banyan are part of ficus species and are well known for their fruits. These provide sustenance to many birds such as horn bills. The trees are filled with birds, squirrels, monkeys and what not whence they fruit. 

Forest birding in Madhya Pradesh

Though MP is known as the tiger state it is a good birding destination as well. The tiger reserves are hitherto popular for tiger safaris as ideal birding spots for those interested in forest species. Most of the tiger reserves in the state are home to wetland species as well but the habitats are not extensive like in Bharatpur. Nevertheless one can see them in impressive numbers.    

Among the forest species, the most sought after are the Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Shama, Racket Tailed Drongo, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Painted Francolin, Black Naped Flycatcher, Iora, Gold Mantled Chloropsis, Jerdon's Leaf Bird, Golden Oriole, Black Hooded Oriole, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Verditor Flycatcher, Brown Fish Owl, Mottled Wood Owl, Malabar whistling Thrush (Pachmarhi), Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, White Eyed Buzzard, Honey Buzzard, and many more. 

The best places for birding in the state are Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Pachmarhi, Nauradehi, Amarkantak, Satpura Tiger Reserve, Bori, and many other wildlife sanctuaries. The habitat type differs depending upon the degree of humidity and food factor. The state has tropical dry deciduous, dry deciduous moist, mixed forests, broadleaved Teak forests, Sal Forests, and Bamboo Zones which are excellent habitats for diverse species. Similarly, grassland in the preserve and places like Karera Bustard Sanctuary are home to many grass-dwelling species.    

Pachmarhi, Nauradehi, Amarkantak are lesser-known destinations in MP hence tourism is not popular. While accommodation is available in Pachmarhi and Amakantak subject to advance booking, Nauradehi can be visited from Jabalpur where there is no shortage of accommodations. All three are reachable from Jabalpur City in Madhya Pradesh.  

Endangered species in India

There are plentiful species in India that are threatened or near threatened. The threat level is based upon population statistics, habitat destruction, poaching or hunting by tribal, disease prevalence, and changing land use patterns - expansion of villages around the ecosystem. Weather and climate play a role as well but most of the species are highly adaptable to withstand such changes unless drastic.

Some species may be less in nature or survive only in niche ecosystems by nature's design. Nevertheless, they are always threatened due to the limited population or few remaining niches. One example is Hard Ground Barasingha which survives in the grasslands of Kanha National Park. Birds like Siberian Crane have not become extinct but the stock that used to migrate to India in winter has.   

Species facing extinction or near extinction are:

• Tiger
• Wild Dog
• Indian Wolf
• Asiatic Lion
• Leopard
• Asiatic Black Bear
• Fishing Cat
• Desert Cat
• One Horned Indian Rhino
• Indian Wild Elephant 
• Capped Leaf Monkey
• Ganges River Dolphin
• Swamp Deer
• Hispid Hare
• Indus River Dolphin
• Hoolock Gibbon
• Red Panda
• Snow Leopard
• Banteng
• Brown Bear
• Clouded Leopard
• Ganges River Dolphin
• Himalayan Musk Dear
• Asiatic Golden Cat
• Nilgiri Tahr
• Nilgiri Langur
• Lion Tailed Macaque
• Golden Langur
• Wild Goat
• Wild Yak 
• Jenkin's Shrew
• Mouse Deer
• Malabar Large Spotted Civet
• India Gazelle
• Namdapha Flying Squirrel
• Sarus Crane
• Black Necked Crane
• Pygmy Hog
• Black Necked Stork
• Salim Ali's Fruit Bat
• Green Avadavat
• White Rumped Vulture
• Sumatran Rhinoceros
• Long Billed Vulture
• Wroughton's Free-Tailed Bat

Fragmented habitats are imposing a serious threat of inbreeding among many species especially the tigers in India. Due rampant destruction of trees and grasslands for fuel wood and fodder is another cause of habitat loss. In the case of insects and birds apart from habitat loss, chemicals used by humans are reducing their breeding capacity.    

In the case of many species especially birds the status is unknown due to difficulty in gauging the numbers and migratory behavior. Research is crucial to uncover hidden facts behind decreasing number of species. 

Prevention

The common man can play a crucial role in preventing species extinction and habitat conservation in the country. 

The only solution to prevent extinction is habitat conservation and its expansion. This could be done by allocating abandoned land for habitat regeneration near the ecosystem. Relocation of villages inside wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks in India. 

Conservation of crucial natural resources, encouraging usage of renewable energy. A discouraging industry that depends heavily on wood - use less paper and recycle it. Discourage urbanization and industrial development near fragile ecosystems. 

Preventing wildlife crimes like poaching and illegal logging.  Responsible tourism with profit sharing by the hospitality industry. Fighting for pro-active policies for nature conservation.

Living in an eco-friendly manner in order to conserve natural resources. Love all life forms and throw away any myths and fears that encourage the vermin attitude. 

The diversity that exists in the wildlife of India is amazing and mind-boggling. Indian wildlife is our inheritance, it is crucial for our survival since we are very much dependent on nature. 

Every citizen of India should be concerned about nature and the environment. All life forms are interlinked hence their survival is crucial to us all. As our culture speaks we must respect all life forms on Earth.