Small Hive Beetle
Aethina tumida
The adult is a small dark beetle most often found in honey bee hives, where it hides in cracks and crevices away from worker bees. It feeds on honey, pollen, and bee brood, and females lay eggs in protected gaps within the hive. Adults can fly between colonies, helping them spread to new hives and apiaries. Their hardened elytra and compact body let them tuck in tightly when harassed.
- Type
- Shell
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Small Hive Beetle