This is essentially due to overwhelming similarities in both morphology and behavior, as both are medium-sized bees (10-11mm) that generally build multiple comb nests inside cavities.

[16] Radloff et al. (2010) have instead chosen to subdivide Apis cerana into six main statistically defined populations based on morphotypes ("morphoclusters"), instead of infraspecific ranks, which they argue were invalidly established and not biologically meaningful.

The individuals in this genus are defined by long, erect hairs that cover the compound eyes and assist in pollen collection, strongly convex scutellum, and a jugal lobe in the hindwing.

[16] The natural range of Apis cerana extends from Primorsky Krai in Russia in the north, to eastern Indonesia in the south; and to Japan in the east, to as far as the highlands of Afghanistan in the west.

[16] As a type of honey bee, Apis cerana must collect and store around a third of its nectar in a concentrated form in order to ensure an adequate supply for consumption during the harsh winter.

Upon moving into the new nest, the colony will then continue to enlarge the combs until there are enough storage units to sufficiently account for all of the required honey.

This new swarm then flies to a new tree branch, explores nest cavities, and then directs the other bees to the new site once satisfied with the location.

[19] As a social species, Apis cerana colonies contain divisions of labor depending on what each member of the group is specialized to perform.

The principal method of communication is the waggle dance, performed primarily when a worker bee discovers a rich source of pollen or nectar and wishes to share this knowledge with her fellow nest-mates.

The waggle dance occurs deep inside the colony's hive, where the worker bee performs a brief reenactment of the recent journey to a patch of flowers.

Neighboring bees observe and learn this dance and can then follow the same pattern, utilizing the odor of the flowers to fly in a certain path and arrive at the same destination.

[19] Successful scouts come back and report the location of suitable nesting sites to the other bees by performing communication dances on the surface of the swarm cluster in the same way as for food sources.

These bees usually do not store great amounts of honey, so they are more vulnerable to starvation if a prolonged shortage of nectar and pollen occurs.

After the last brood emerges, the adult bees fill their honey stomachs from the hive's stores and swarm to establish a new nest at a new location.

The development of worker bees in a colony is typical of that for any insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis as it includes the four stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

[19] Then it undergoes an 8-day larval stage, which is an intense feeding state involving honey, pollen, and brood food supplied by the adult bees.

[19] As one queen generally mates with over a dozen males, the genetic relatedness of the colony is biased and represents haplodiploid sex determination.

Although female worker bees do possess ovaries and can essentially produce viable eggs, this potential is almost never realized as long as the colony is ruled by a dominant queen.

[8] In addition to food requirements for diet, water also plays a key role in the growth and development of adult bees.

In fact, the form of food has little to no influence on the longevity and life expectancy of the bee as long as there is ready availability of water.

[22] Vespine wasps attempt to attack the honey bee quarry in an effort to gain provisions to aid in the development of their own offspring.

Furthermore, other bees may just decide to fly away as an evasive measure in times of conflict, often altering their specific flight styles in order to avoid predation.

[22] During this period of self-defense, bees collectively execute carefully timed waves of shimmering of their wings when approached by predators such as vespine wasps.

[27] However, it has now been confirmed that this parasite species is actually present in colonies of Apis mellifera as well, both in Taiwan as well as Spain, though the origins of its arrival in Europe are still unknown.

Infected larvae change in color from pearly white to pale yellow, and shortly after death they dry out, forming a dark brown gondola-shaped scale.

[35] However, according to Biosecurity Queensland (2103), the Apis cerana "is likely to compete for pollen and nectar with native birds, mammals and insects, and for nesting sites in tree crevices".

[36] There is a strong possibility that Apis cerana will also compete for resources with commercial honey bees and affect primary producers who rely on their pollination services.

[35] The decision was controversial though, sparking a senate inquiry which concluded that it failed to apply the precautionary principle and assess the potential impacts of Apis cerana on biodiversity.

[39] As of 2015 the Biomodeling Laboratory at Seoul National University had constructed an Asian honey bee transcriptome database using an advanced sequencing technique.