Honey bees from East Africa and Europe are two different subspecies of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera).
One key difference is that the subspecies found in East Africa (Apis mellifera scutellata) is generally considered to be more aggressive and defensive than the subspecies found in Europe (Apis mellifera mellifera). This is likely due to the fact that East Africa is home to a greater variety of predators and competitors for resources, which has led to the evolution of more defensive behaviors in the bees.
Another difference is that the subspecies found in East Africa is typically darker in color, with a black and brown striped abdomen, whereas the subspecies found in Europe is typically lighter in color, with a yellow and black striped abdomen.
There are also some differences in the way the colonies are organized and the way they reproduce. For example, African honey bees reproduce via a process called “swarming”, in which a portion of the colony splits off to form a new colony, while European honey bees reproduce via a process called “supersedure”, in which a new queen is raised to replace the old queen.
It’s worth noting that the above differences are generalizations and there are variations within each subspecies.
AFRICANIZED HONEY BEE
The Africanized honey bee, also known as the “killer bee,” is a hybrid of the African honey bee and the European honey bee. Africanized honey bees were first introduced to Brazil in the 1950s in an attempt to improve honey production, but some of the bees escaped and began to interbreed with local European honey bees. The resulting hybrid bees are more aggressive and defend their hives more fiercely than European honey bees. They have since spread to other parts of Central and South America, and have been found as far north as the southern United States. Africanized honey bees are a concern for beekeepers and can also pose a danger to humans if they feel threatened.