Apinae

The subfamily is defined by the presence of a corbicula (pollen basket) on the hind tibia in corbiculate tribes, though this trait is absent in non-corbiculate Apinae. Corbiculate bees possess a smooth, concave area fringed with long setae for pollen transport. Non-corbiculate Apinae lack this structure and often exhibit elongated mouthparts or other specialized morphological adaptations. Kleptoparasitic tribes (Ericrocidini, Isepeolini, Melectini, Osirini, Protepeolini, Rhathymini) typically lack pollen-carrying structures entirely. Male genitalia and wing venation provide diagnostic characters for tribal-level classification.

Highly diverse: ranges from tropical rainforests to temperate grasslands, alpine meadows, and arid regions. Corbiculate bees occupy tropical to temperate zones; bumblebees extend into subarctic and alpine habitats. Nesting substrates include underground burrows, tree cavities, rock crevices, and pre-existing rodent nests. Stingless bees are restricted to tropical and subtropical regions.

Worldwide except Antarctica. Corbiculate bees: Apini (honey bees) native to Africa, Europe, and Asia; Bombini (bumblebees) primarily Holarctic with some Neotropical species; Euglossini (orchid bees) Neotropical; Meliponini (stingless bees) pantropical. Non-corbiculate Apinae are globally distributed with regional endemism in arid and Mediterranean zones.

Adults feed on nectar; larvae provisioned with pollen and nectar. Some corbiculate bees collect floral oils (Euglossini, Meliponini) for larval nutrition—a behavior otherwise rare in bees. Kleptoparasitic tribes do not collect provisions; larvae consume host-collected food stores.

Highly variable. Eusocial corbiculate bees: perennial colonies founded by swarms (Meliponini) or solitary queens (Apini, Bombini) depending on tribe; colonies may persist for years. Solitary Apinae: annual cycle with females constructing individual nests and provisioning cells sequentially. Kleptoparasitic tribes: females invade host nests and oviposit in provisioned cells; larvae destroy host egg or larva and consume provisions.

Male sleeping aggregations on vegetation—males grasp plants with mandibles and rest through the night, sometimes with legs dangling free—documented in multiple Apinae lineages and rare elsewhere in bees. Buzz pollination (sonication) used by Bombini to extract pollen from poricidal anthers. Stingless bees exhibit complex recruitment communication including trail pheromones and spatial memory. Kleptoparasitic tribes display nest-searching behaviors and chemical mimicry to infiltrate host colonies.

Major pollinators of flowering plants in most terrestrial ecosystems. Bumblebees are primary pollinators of temperate-zone crops and wildflowers; stingless bees pollinate tropical forest trees and understory plants; orchid bees are obligate pollinators of many Neotropical orchid species. Honey bees are generalist pollinators with significant agricultural impact. Some species compete with native bees for floral resources.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera, A. cerana) provide honey, wax, and pollination services globally; bumblebees (Bombus spp.) are commercially reared for greenhouse pollination, particularly of tomatoes and other solanaceous crops. Stingless bees are managed for honey production and pollination in tropical regions. Several Bombus species are invasive outside native ranges. Bee venom and propolis have medicinal applications.

• NomadinaeAlso within Apidae; distinguished by obligate kleptoparasitism and reduced scopal structures, historically separated from Apinae but now placed in the same family
• XylocopinaeWithin Apidae; carpenter bees with large body size and excavated wood nesting; lack corbicula and possess different wing venation

• pollinators
• eusocial
• solitary
• kleptoparasitic
• corbiculate
• agricultural importance
• tropical ecology
• temperate ecology
• conservation
• commercial bees

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Stingless Bee (Apidae: Apinae: Meliponini) Ecology
• Key for Identification of Bumblebee Queens from Costa Rica (Apidae: Apinae: Bombini)
• Common Long-Horned Bee Melissodes communis Cresson (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae)
• First records and distribution extensions of ericrocidine and epeoline bees (Apidae, Apinae and Nomadinae) in the Brazilian Pantanal
• Foraging behavior of Melipona rufiventris Lepeletier (Apinae; Meliponini) in Ubatuba, SP, Brazil
• The Stingless Honey Bees (Apidae, Apinae: Meliponini) in Panama and Pollination Ecology from Pollen Analysis
• Behavioral Phylogeny of Corbiculate Apidae (Hymenoptera; Apinae), with Special Reference to Social Behavior
• Updated Species Check-list of the Indonesian Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apinae, Meliponini)
• Identity of cavity nesting honey bees of the Indian subcontinent with description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae: Apini: Apis)