any bee of the genus apis, which lives in communities and collects honey, esp. the common domesticated hive bee (apis mellifica), the italian bee (a. ligustica), and the arabiab bee (a. fasciata). the two latter are by many entomologists considered only varieties of the common hive bee. each swarm of bees consists of a large number of workers (barren females), with, ordinarily, one queen or fertile female, but in the swarming season several young queens, and a number of males or drones, are produced.