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7.5.1.2 Thuḍuve je: nu
Thuḍuve je: nu (variously known as the Indian, Asiatic or Eastern honey bee, Apis
cerana ) can be found in both evergreen forest s , ka:nu ka:ḍu, or in dryer lowland
regions, or na:ḍu ka:ḍu. With this species as well, people living in a particular local-
ity have a knowledge of the place name s associated with the harvesting of thuḍuve
honey: togaraṭṭi oṭṭu and beḷa:ga:na ka:ḍu , for instance. Unlike hejje:nu , with its
preference for particular tree species (or even individual trees), some informants
stated that thuḍuve je:nu was not picky about its nest site:
Adakka mene sikkida:ge, e:va mara gamba i:teyo, oḷa:ge adu ira:de, anta anta gambiga
e:va mara uve sariye... ella:ka uve, onde he:ḷakka:ga:dille
Whenever it fi nds a home, any tree hollow (will do), they’ll be inside, any tree with such
hollows is fi ne...all of them, I can’t name just one.
Thuḍuve je: nu will also readily nest in small rock crevices, even close to ground
level. However, when asked to be more specifi c, some informants replied that this bee
can often be found on ne:ri ( Syzygium sp.), bejja ( Anogeissus latifolia ) and karava:di
( Persea macrantha ) trees, and especially on the koṭṭa:na beṇḍe ( Kydia sp.?).
Two kinds of thuḍuve je: nu are recognised by the Solega— kencu thuḍuve (the
‘red’ variety) and kari thuḍuve (the ‘black’ variety). These putative subspecies are
said to occupy rather different ecological niches: kencu thuḍuve is to be found pri-
marily in the dryer lowland forests, and on bejja , kaggali ( Acacia chundra ) and
ka:rase (?) trees, whereas kari thuḍuve is said to occur in higher-altitude rainforests,
or male ka:ḍu , usually on beṇḍe , bejja , soravilu and puḍu ma:vu (poss. Cinnamomum
malabatrum ) trees, and in rocks.
Thuḍuve je: nu nests are similar to those of the European honeybee ( Apis mel-
lifera, Apis cerana ) in their architecture, and consist of parallel sheets of comb,
separated by narrow gaps. As mentioned above, they are constructed within protec-
tive enclosed spaces, such as tree hollows and rock crevices. Brood, pollen and
honey can all occur on a single sheet of comb, and my Solega informants spoke of
a sequence of events occurring on such sheets over the course of 2 or 3 months. To
begin with, a comb sheet contains but a little honey. Eggs are then laid in the empty
part of the comb, and brood is reared. As the brood emerges, the bees start collect-
ing large quantities of pollen, and then honey. Towards the end of the sequence, it is
common to fi nd comb which contains only honey. This sequence might be repeated
three or four times in a year.
7.5.1.3 Kaḍḍḍḍi je: nu
Another bee species whose honey is eagerly sought after is kaḍḍi je: nu (the dwarf
honeybee, Apis fl orea ). This is the smallest of the Apis species known to the Solega,
and can be found in all forest types.
Kaḍḍi je: nu is said to appear around the time that the maruḷi plant ( Indigofera
sp. ) is in fl ower. When the iṇḍã trees ( Pterolobium hexapetalum ) are in bloom,
however, the dwarf honeybee appears in the lowland forests, and in particular in the
7 Honeybee Lore