Indian Honey Bee vs Heineken Hoverfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Indian Honey Bee Heineken Hoverfly
Scientific Name Apis cerana indica Rhingia campestris
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Apidae Syrphidae
Size 10-13 mm 9-12 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan) Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Indian Honey Bee

A small, dark-banded honey bee native to the Indian subcontinent and the primary managed bee species in traditional Indian beekeeping. It builds multiple-comb nests in enclosed cavities and is well-adapted to tropical conditions.

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Did You Know?

Indian honey bees can thermoregulate their hive by fanning their wings and have a unique defense called 'heat balling' where they suffocate hornet intruders.

Heineken Hoverfly

An unmistakable hoverfly with a long, beak-like snout used to reach nectar in tubular flowers. It has an orange abdomen and dark thorax.

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Did You Know?

It is nicknamed the Heineken fly because its long snout lets it reach the nectar other hoverflies cannot reach.