Explanation: Honey bees are classified within the family Apidae, not Vespidae. Apidae is indeed the largest bee family.

Explanation: The genus name 'Apis' is derived from the Latin word for 'bee', not Greek.

Explanation: Fossils of *Apis* bees dating back approximately 34 million years, to the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, have indeed been found in European deposits.

Explanation: The evolutionary trend is reversed: more ancient *Apis* species tend to build single, exposed combs, while more recently evolved species, particularly those domesticated, nest in cavities and construct multiple combs.

Explanation: The genus *Apis* is divided into three main clades: *Micrapis*, *Megapis*, and *Apis* sensu stricto. *Xylocopa* is a different genus of carpenter bees.

Explanation: The sequencing and mapping of the *Apis mellifera* genome have been instrumental in understanding the genetic basis for eusociality, caste determination, and other complex behaviors observed in honey bee colonies.

Explanation: Current scientific consensus places the center of origin for the genus *Apis* in South and Southeast Asia, with *Apis mellifera* likely originating in Africa.

Explanation: This classification is correct. The family Apidae is a large family of bees, and the genus *Apis* specifically encompasses all honey bee species.

Explanation: Honey bees are classified within the family Apidae, which is the largest bee family.

Explanation: Honey bees belong to the genus *Apis*. This genus is part of the tribe Apini within the family Apidae.

Explanation: The genus name 'Apis' is derived from the Latin word for 'bee'.

Explanation: The center of origin for the genus *Apis* is believed to be South and Southeast Asia, based on the distribution of its species and evolutionary lineages.

Explanation: The earliest *Apis* fossils are dated to the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, approximately 34 million years ago.

Explanation: The dwarf honey bees, including *Apis florea* and *Apis andreniformis*, are classified within the clade *Micrapis*.

Explanation: Honey bees are native to mainland Afro-Eurasia and have been introduced by humans to other continents. They are not found in Antarctica.

Explanation: The western honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) and the eastern honey bee (*Apis cerana*) are indeed the two species most commonly domesticated by humans, primarily for honey production and pollination services.

Explanation: This statement is accurate; no native *Apis* species inhabited the Americas before European introductions, although a fossil species, *Apis nearctica*, has been found in Nevada.

Explanation: Dwarf honey bees (*Micrapis*) build exposed nests in trees and shrubs, not typically within cavities. They are generally less aggressive than some other *Apis* species.

Explanation: This description accurately characterizes *Apis florea* workers, distinguishing them from their sister species, *Apis andreniformis*.

Explanation: While *Megapis* includes *Apis dorsata* and *Apis laboriosa*, these giant honey bees typically build single, exposed combs in high locations such as tree limbs or cliffs, not within tree cavities.

Explanation: Africanized honey bees typically produce a lesser honey surplus than European honey bees, although they exhibit other traits like increased defensiveness and disease resistance.

Explanation: The genus *Apis* includes eight recognized species, and within these species, approximately 43 subspecies have been identified.

Explanation: The eastern honey bee (*Apis cerana*) has been domesticated primarily for honey production and pollination, not for silk production. Silk is produced by silkworms.

Explanation: Honey bees are native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. Their presence on other continents is due to human introduction.

Explanation: Honey bees were introduced to continents outside their native range through human migration and colonization efforts, beginning in the colonial era.

Explanation: There are eight recognized extant species of honey bees. The number 43 refers to the recognized subspecies.

Explanation: *Apis nearctica* is the fossil species of honey bee documented from the New World, found in Nevada.

Explanation: Species within the *Megapis* subgenus, such as *Apis dorsata*, are known for building single, exposed combs, typically in high and inaccessible locations like tree limbs or cliffs.

Explanation: *Apis laboriosa* is known as the Himalayan giant honey bee and is the largest living honey bee species.

Explanation: *Apis andreniformis*, the black dwarf honey bee, is darker and generally less widely distributed than *Apis florea*.

Explanation: A honey bee colony typically consists of three main castes: the queen (fertile female), drones (males), and workers (sterile females). There is no distinct 'soldier' caste.

Explanation: Worker bees progress through a sequence of duties as they age. They begin with internal tasks like cleaning and nursing larvae, and only later transition to external duties such as foraging.

Explanation: This is a characteristic feature of worker honey bees; their barbed stingers become lodged in the elastic skin of mammals, causing the stinger and associated venom sac to be torn from the bee's abdomen, leading to death.

Explanation: Queen bees have a significantly longer lifespan than worker bees, often living for several years (up to five), whereas worker bees typically live for weeks or months.

Explanation: A queen bee's sting is smooth and unbarbed, allowing her to sting multiple times without suffering harm. Worker bees have barbed stingers that detach upon stinging mammals, leading to their death.

Explanation: This distinction is correct: a swarm is a temporary reproductive unit leaving the parent colony, while a colony refers to the established, perennial social unit.

Explanation: This accurately describes the role of worker bees: they are sterile females that perform all necessary tasks for colony survival, including wax production and hive upkeep.

Explanation: The principal function of drone bees is reproduction; they mate with virgin queens during nuptial flights. They do not participate in foraging or hive maintenance.

Explanation: Queen bees typically live for several years, often up to five years, which is considerably longer than the lifespan of worker bees.

Explanation: A queen bee's sting is smooth and unbarbed, allowing for repeated use, which is essential for her role in eliminating rival queens. Worker bee stingers are barbed and detach upon stinging mammals, causing the worker's death.

Explanation: Worker bees are typically sterile females with non-functional ovaries, meaning they cannot lay fertile eggs. While they can lay unfertilized eggs under certain conditions (e.g., queenless colonies), functional ovaries capable of producing fertile eggs are characteristic of the queen bee.

Explanation: Drones are male bees that develop from unfertilized eggs. Fertilized eggs develop into female bees (queens or workers).

Explanation: The developmental pathway is reversed: fertilized eggs develop into diploid females (queens and workers), whereas unfertilized eggs develop into haploid males (drones).

Explanation: A queen bee develops from a larva fed exclusively royal jelly. Larvae destined to become workers or drones receive a mixed diet of pollen and nectar after an initial period on royal jelly.

Explanation: While royal jelly is crucial for queen development, it is also fed to all young larvae for the first few days of their life, regardless of their eventual caste.

Explanation: The spermatheca in a queen bee is specialized for storing sperm collected during mating flights, not nectar. Nectar is stored in the honey stomach.

Explanation: The spermatheca is a specialized organ in the queen bee designed to store the sperm collected during her mating flights, enabling her to fertilize eggs throughout her reproductive life.

Explanation: Royal jelly is the specialized diet exclusively fed to queen larvae, which triggers their development into queens. Other larvae receive it for only the first few days.

Explanation: Royal jelly is fed to all young larvae for the first few days of their development, providing essential nutrition. Only larvae destined to become queens continue to receive royal jelly exclusively thereafter.

Explanation: Worker policing primarily involves workers removing eggs laid by other workers, thereby maintaining the queen's reproductive dominance. While workers can eliminate rival queens, this is not the primary definition of worker policing.

Explanation: The anarchic syndrome involves workers laying more eggs, but this often leads to a decrease in overall hive productivity due to conflicts with the queen's reproductive interests and potential subversion of colony maintenance.

Explanation: In winter, honey bees maintain hive temperature by forming a dense 'winter cluster' and generating heat through muscle vibrations (shivering), not continuous flight. They consume stored honey for energy.

Explanation: Stinging intruders and releasing alarm pheromones are key components of honey bee colony defense mechanisms, serving to recruit other bees to repel threats.

Explanation: The 'dance language,' encompassing the waggle dance and round dance, is a well-documented method by which honey bees convey information about the direction, distance, and quality of resources to nestmates.

Explanation: Honey bees cool their hives in summer by fanning their wings to circulate air and by evaporating water, which has a cooling effect. Wing vibration is primarily used to generate heat in winter.

Explanation: The 'bee dance,' such as the waggle dance, is primarily used to communicate the location and quality of food sources, not aggression towards predators.

Explanation: The 'wave' behavior, a coordinated rippling motion of bees within the colony, is recognized as a defensive display in species like *Apis dorsata* to deter potential threats.

Explanation: The behavior where worker bees remove eggs laid by other workers is known as 'worker policing,' which helps maintain the queen's reproductive dominance.

Explanation: Honey bees survive winter by forming a dense 'winter cluster.' They generate heat through muscle activity and consume stored honey for energy, maintaining a core temperature above freezing.

Explanation: Honey bees utilize a sophisticated 'dance language,' including the waggle dance, to convey precise information about the location (direction and distance) and quality of food sources.

Explanation: During hot weather, honey bees regulate hive temperature through evaporative cooling. They fan their wings to circulate air and spread water droplets, which cool the hive as they evaporate.

Explanation: The 'wave' behavior observed in giant honey bees is believed to function as a defensive display, potentially deterring predators or intruders from approaching their nests.

Explanation: The 'bee dance,' including the waggle dance, is a vital communication method used by worker bees to inform nestmates about the precise location, direction, and distance of valuable resources such as nectar and pollen.

Explanation: While beeswax and royal jelly are both utilized in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, the statement mischaracterizes their primary uses and relative importance in these fields. Both have diverse applications.

Explanation: While honey bees are important pollinators for many crops, they are often considered inefficient for specialized plants due to their generalized foraging behavior and lack of specific adaptations. Native bees are frequently more effective for certain plants.

Explanation: Pollen is the sole natural source of protein for honey bees, essential for larval development and worker maintenance. Nectar is the primary source of carbohydrates, providing energy.

Explanation: Bee bread is indeed produced by mixing collected pollen with honey and glandular secretions, which then undergoes fermentation, enhancing nutrient availability.

Explanation: Melittin is indeed the most abundant peptide in honey bee venom (apitoxin) and is a subject of scientific investigation for its various biological activities and potential medicinal uses.

Explanation: It is estimated that approximately 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators, with honey bees playing a substantial role in this ecosystem service.

Explanation: Nectar is primarily a source of carbohydrates (sugars) for energy. Pollen is the sole natural source of protein for honey bees.

Explanation: Honey bee nests are primarily constructed from wax secreted by worker bees. This wax is molded into the characteristic hexagonal cells.

Explanation: Honey is the primary stored food product created by honey bees. It is produced by regurgitating nectar and processing it with enzymes and evaporation.

Explanation: Chitin is a structural polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans, but it is not a primary product harvested or utilized from honey bees. Beeswax, royal jelly, and propolis are significant bee products.

Explanation: Honey bees are crucial for commercial agriculture primarily due to their role as pollinators for a vast array of fruit, vegetable, and seed crops.

Explanation: Honey bees are often inefficient pollinators for specialized plants because they possess generalized foraging behaviors and lack the specific adaptations that many native bees have evolved for particular flower types.

Explanation: Pollen is the exclusive natural source of protein for honey bees, providing essential amino acids required for larval development and worker maintenance.

Explanation: Bee bread is a fermented mixture of pollen, honey, and glandular secretions, created by worker bees and serving as a nutrient-rich food source within the hive.

Explanation: Melittin is the most abundant component of honey bee venom, comprising approximately 50% of its dry weight. It is responsible for much of the venom's pain and inflammatory effects.

Explanation: It is estimated that approximately 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators, with honey bees playing a substantial role in this ecosystem service.

Explanation: High densities of honey bees can indeed compete with native pollinators for floral resources, potentially leading to negative impacts on native pollinator populations.

Explanation: Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is understood to be multifactorial, resulting from a combination of stressors including pesticides, viruses, and other environmental factors, rather than being solely caused by the Varroa mite.

Explanation: While habitat destruction is a concern, the text identifies parasites like *Varroa* mites and factors contributing to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), such as pesticides and viruses, as primary threats.

Explanation: High densities of honey bees can lead to competition with native pollinators for floral resources, potentially negatively impacting native pollinator populations and biodiversity.

Explanation: Current scientific understanding suggests that CCD is multifactorial, likely resulting from an interplay of stressors such as pesticides, pathogens (viruses, mites), and poor nutrition, rather than a single cause.

Explanation: The text identifies *Varroa* mites as the biggest threat to honey bee populations in the US, alongside other factors contributing to colony losses.

Explanation: Historically, the bee has been adopted as a symbol in various cultural contexts, including its prominent use by Napoleon I to represent industry and government.

Explanation: Napoleon I utilized the bee as a symbol of industry and government, associating it with his imperial authority and the industrious nature of his administration.