How Honey Bees are an Invasive Species Once upon a time, there was an exotic species with a prominent presence in the animal kingdom. This species was the honey bee, Apis mellifera, a small insect with an unbounded capacity for destruction. The honey bee was introduced to North America beginning in the early 1600s. Native to Europe and parts of Africa, the honey bee was believed to have been brought to the continent on the back of ships from the Old World. Once released, the