Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian, a small, unicellular parasite that mainly affects Apis cerana, the Asiatic honey bee.

A. c. nuluensis is one of a number of Asiatic honey bees, including the more obscure Apis koschevnikovi and Apis nigrocincta (the latter of which has nearby habitat on nearby Sulawesi and Mindanao islands)

The mites' reported hosts have included Anobium punctatum, the pink bollworm, Grapholita molesta, Tineola bisselliella, Apis cerana (Asiatic honey bee), periodic cicadas, and various pests of stored grain, as well as humans and their pets.

Apis cerana, or the Asiatic honey bee (or the Eastern honey bee), is a species of honey bee found in southern and southeastern Asia, such as China, India, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea.

In the Apis cerana colony there are about 200 drones during high summer peak time.

In the tropics, other species of social bee are managed for honey production, including Apis cerana.

The species builds nests in cavities like the closely related Apis cerana.

Most of honey bees are Apis cerana japonica Rad, which is common in Japan.

Varroa originated in the Far East where it lives as a parasite on the Apis cerana species of honey bee.

Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian, a small, unicellular parasite that mainly affects Apis cerana, the Asiatic honey bee.

Out of these, two subspecies are predominant and used for apiculture in India: Apis cerana cerana and Apis cerana indica.

It has not been possible yet to resolve its relationship to the Bornean Apis cerana nuluensis and Apis nigrocincta from the Philippines to satisfaction; the most recent hypothesis is that these are indeed distinct species but that A. cerana is still paraphyletic, consisting of several good species.