Apis dorsata laboriosa

Apis dorsata laboriosa, the Himalayan honey bee, is a giant honey bee. It is presently classified as a subspecies of the widespread Apis dorsata, the giant honey bee (Engel, 1999). However, it is highly adapted to its highland habitat in behavior and there has evidently been little gene flow between it and A. dorsata for millions of years; some consider this evidence that it should be classified as a species (Arias & Sheppard 2005).

Largely limited to the Himalayas, it is one of the more plesiomorphic honeybees and the largest taxon in its genus. These build single-combed nests in the open and usually occur in warm climates.