Fossil honeybees are exceptionally unusual, and the majority of understood specimens originate from Oligocene and Miocene deposits in Europe and China, 10s of countless years of ages.

Just a handful of more youthful fossils, from the Pleistocene and Holocene, have actually been discovered, and those come from still-living types.

The brand-new Japanese fossil bee, called Apis aibaifalls directly in between these 2 clusters, making it both the youngest recognized extinct honeybee and the earliest verified fossil of the subgenus Apis — the group that consists of the Western honeybee (Apis melliferaand its closest loved ones.

“The honey bee, a basic term for hymenopteran bugs of the genus Apis (household Apidae), plays a crucial function as a pollinator for both natural and farming environments,” stated Dr. Yui Takahashi from Keio Yochisha Elementary School and Dr. Jun-ichi Takahashi of Kyoto Sangyo University.

“In addition, these bugs keep a few of the closest ties to human society.”

“There are at least 9 existing honey bee types and 3 subgenera (Micrapis Megapis and Apisfrom the genus Apis“

“The native variety of Apis mellifera covers Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and western China, whereas the other 8 congeners are mostly discovered in Asia.”

“The circulations of the 8 Asian types overlap in the tropical and subtropical zones of South and Southeast Asia, whereas just the series of Apis cerana extends northward to the temperate zone.”

“The fossil record of Apis is disproportionately originated from Eocene-Miocene deposits in Europe and China, with just a couple of exceptions from the Pleistocene age.”

The holotype of Apis aibai was recuperated from the Teragi Group, a series of volcanic and lake-deposited rock layers in Japan’s Hyogo prefecture.

Maintained in whitish, tuff-rich siltstone, the specimen reveals an employee bee approximately 10 mm long, with wings, hind legs and body sectors clear enough to enable in-depth contrast with living honeybee types.

The fossil go back in between 2.8 and 2.2 million years ago (Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene).

Based upon wing vein patterns and leg structure, the authors argue that the fossil bears a strong similarity to Apis nigrocinctaa honeybee types discovered today just in the Philippines and Indonesia.

“This recommends that the Apis nigrocincta-associated extinct group, consisting of the brand-new types, traditionally had a larger circulation, varying to temperate Japan of the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene age,” the scientists stated.

“A fascinating hypothesis is that the Apis nigrocincta-associated extinct group might be the ancestral bees of Apis ceranawhich is the only native honey bee types in Japan.”

The discovery likewise provides physical proof to hereditary price quotes, based upon mitochondrial DNA, recommending the Apis subgenus emerged at some point in the Late Miocene date.

Previously, no fossils had actually validated the group’s existence before the Pleistocene.

“Thus, Apis aibai adds to bridging the space in between fossil research studies and genomic evaluations,” the researchers concluded.

Their paper was released online in the journal ZooKeys

_____

Y. Takahashi & & J-ichi Takahashi. 2025. A honey bee fossil (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene Teragi Group, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan: Bridging a space in Apis evolutionary history. ZooKeys 1255: 291-301; doi: 10.3897/ zookeys.1255.162389