Invasive bees defy evolution to cover Sydney-sized area

Asian honey bees have taken hold in Queensland, where there are more than 10,000 colonies. (HANDOUT/UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY)

Thousands of colonies of invasive Asian honey bees infesting an area the size of Greater Sydney came from a single swarm, defying evolutionary expectations.

That's the finding of a team of researchers, who say the discovery is bad news for the honey industry and biosecurity officials but could be good news for threatened species.