STUDYING THE HONEYBEE BEHAVIOUR AND EVOLUTION IN THE LIGHT OF THE HOLY QUR’AN

The honeybee Apis mellifera is an important eusocial insect that plays a crucial role in pollination and produces six different high-value products. Honeybees live in highly organized colonies in which each worker performs very specific functions and changes tasks throughout their physiological development. Absence of the queen or any disruption in the pheromone communication inside the bee colony is considered fatal for the whole population. The ability of worker bees to execute their appropriate tasks and communicate with their hive mates is crucial for colony well-being. Bees faithfully execute the commands of Allah Almighty mentioned in Surah-Al-Nahl in the Holy Qur’an to serve human beings as well as to provide and maintain a balanced ecosystem. But what could disrupt this balance and deviate bees from performing their assigned duty? In this presentation we shall highlight some factors that have serious implications in disabling bees from performing their role in nature.