Theoretically, the energy in one ounce of honey would provide one bee with enough energy to fly around the world. In 1998, the United States made over 89,000 metric tons of honey. China, the world's top honey-producer, created more than 140,000 metric tons of honey in 1997. While foraging for nectar and pollen, bees inadvertently transfer pollen from the male to the female components of flowers. All told, insect pollinators contribute to one-third of the world's diet.
Most researchers believe the honeybee originated in Africa.
The first European colonists introduced Apis mellifera, the common honeybee, to the Americas. Today honeybees can be found all over the world. Bees often shield themselves from rain, which can chill their flight muscles to the point that they cannot fly. Forcipomyia beats its wings over 62,000 cycles per minute. The Australian dragonfly Austrophlebia costalis has been clocked flying at a speed of 36 mph.