Both are the species of bees cultivated in India under apiculture.

Apis Cerana: These are found in large areas, especially in the high Himalayan region, where bee-keepers log hives in their houses. This type is also practised in the Mahabaleshwar hills of Maharashtra, parts of West Bengal, north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, as well as in large parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Apis Dorsata: These are found in the higher reaches of the Himalayas, in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh in North India. Mangrove forests of Sundarbans in West Bengal and the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh provide ideal conditions for Apis Dorsata.