Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea. They are currently considered a clade, called Anthophila. [1]

Apr 3, 2025 · A bee (superfamily Apoidea) is any of more than 20,000 species of insects in the suborder Apocrita (order Hymenoptera), which includes the familiar honeybee (Apis) and bumblebee (Bombus and Psithyrus) as well as thousands of more wasplike and flylike bees.

Oct 17, 2023 · A guide to identifying different types of common bee species found around the world, complete with photos.

Can you tell a bee from a wasp? Or a honeybee from a carpenter bee? These vital pollinators can be tricky to tell apart at first glance, but this visual guide can help you identify the most common bees in your yard. Make a positive identification with pictures and descriptions for the bees you're likely to encounter in the garden.

A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus Apis of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia.

When a bee is ready to extract pollen, nectar, or oils from a flower, its complex set of mouthparts unfold. Bee mouthparts have moving, interlocking pieces evolved specially for hard-to-reach floral rewards.

Aug 7, 2024 · Honeybees and bumblebees are the iconic representatives of this busy and buzzy insect, but there are actually more than 20,000 different species of bee.

Apr 7, 2025 · A honeybee is any of a small group of social bees that make honey. All honeybees live together in nests or hives. There are two honeybee sexes, male and female, and two female castes.

Apr 5, 2025 · Mason bees are among the 4,000 types of bees native to the U.S. The honeybee isn't one of them — they were brought to the U.S. from Europe in the 1600s.

The bee is primarily known for producing honey and pollinating flowers. They are found worldwide wherever insect-dependent pollinating plants occur. Bees are closely related to wasps but are easily distinguished due to their hairy bodies compared to the smooth, thin-waisted wasps and the diet of both their offspring.