Context

• The giant Asian honey bee or apis dorsata, which produces more than 80% of India’s honey, is falling prey to air pollution.

Key Details

• With India being the world’s largest fruit producer, second-largest vegetable producer as well as the second-most populous country, scientists said the findings are important because this wild pollinator is not only a common resident of Indian cities, but also an important contributor to India’s food security and ecosystems.
• For instance, it pollinates more than 687 plants in Karnataka alone.
• India also is home to nine of the world’s 10 most polluted cities, but we have no idea of the impact of air pollution on plant and animal systems.

Key Facts:

• Researchers said more than 80% of all flowering plants rely on animal pollination, and that India’s annual mango export could stand to lose over Rs 65,000 lakhs because 53% mangoes would disappear without insect pollinators like honey bees.

Back to Basics

• Asian honey bee is because they are present in both urban and rural settings.
• Often found nesting in cities, also migrates its colonies repeatedly over many kilometres throughout the year among urban, rural, and forest habitats.
• Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly)-Remember the Term