Apis dorsata
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
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 →
No species of the same family or order lives in Horton Plains National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other insects.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Honey Bee sighting in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 6 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Honey Bee in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and April, the lowest months. That is one of Horton Plains National Park's wettest months, with about 370 mm of rain against 80 mm in March.
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.
Yes
Of the 28 parks where we can rate Giant Honey Bee sightings, Horton Plains National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Sundarbans National Park (India, about 40%) and Bandhavgarh National Park (India, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Giant Honey Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Horton Plains National Park (8 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.
