${#var}
The value's length, counted in characters, with no helper process.
The hash before the name measures instead of expanding: ${#var} is the number of characters in the value — characters, not bytes, according to the locale.
With @ or *, the count changes target: ${#@} is how many arguments the script received — same as $#. On arrays, ${#colmeia[@]} counts the elements.
$ especie="Apis mellifera"
$ echo ${#especie}
14