Apis dorsata
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Apis dorsata, the rock bee or giant honey bee, is a honey bee of South and Southeast Asia. They are typically around 17–20 mm (0.7–0.8 in) long and nests are mainly built in exposed places far off the ground, like on tree limbs, under cliff overhangs, and under buildings. These social bees are known for their aggressive defense strategies and vicious behavior when disturbed. Though the species is not domesticated, indigenous peoples have traditionally used it as a source of honey and beeswax, a practice known as honey hunting.
Apis dorsata belongs to the subgenus Megapis in the family Apidae. This honeybee is most closely related to A. mellifera (the western honey bee), A. cerana, and A. florea. There are a few hypotheses as to when A. dorsata diverged from A. florea and A. cerana, as it is unclear which divergence occurred first. Currently, the consensus hypothesis provides a family tree that claims that A. dorsata diverged from both A. cerana and A. florea at the same time. Wikipedia →
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Honey Bee sighting in Chitwan National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 14th most-seen of the 24 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Honey Bee in Chitwan National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–July and September–November, the lowest months. That is one of Chitwan National Park's wettest months, with about 550 mm of rain against almost none in November.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Honey Bee sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
20th of 28
Of the 28 parks where we can rate Giant Honey Bee sightings, Chitwan National Park ranks 20th at about 20%. The best odds are in Horton Plains National Park (Sri Lanka, about 40%), Sundarbans National Park (India, about 40%) and Bandhavgarh National Park (India, about 30%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Giant Honey Bee that you can see in Chitwan National Park (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Asian Weaver Ant (about 20%) and Arboreal Bicolored Slender Ant (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Giant Honey Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Chitwan National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
