Bees
Guides
Andrenidae
mining bees, miner bees, bulldozer bees
Andrenidae is a large, nearly cosmopolitan family of solitary, ground-nesting bees commonly known as mining bees. The family exhibits exceptional diversity with over 2,000 described species across four subfamilies: Andreninae, Panurginae, Oxaeinae, and Alocandreninae. Most diversity occurs in temperate and arid (warm temperate xeric) regions. The genus Andrena contains approximately 1,700 species, making it one of the most rapidly speciating bee lineages known. Members are typically small to moderate-sized bees with distinctive morphological features including two subantennal sutures on the face—a primitive trait shared with sphecoid wasps—and often possess foveae (depressions) near the upper margin of the eyes. Unlike most bee families, Andrenidae have no known kleptoparasites. Some lineages, particularly within Panurginae, have evolved crepuscular (dusk-active) foraging behavior with enlarged ocelli.
Anthidiini
Anthidiini is a tribe of bees in the family Megachilidae comprising at least 40 genera and approximately 840 described species. The tribe is strongly supported as monophyletic based on molecular and morphological evidence. Members exhibit diverse nesting strategies, with many species constructing nests from plant resins, plant fibers, or other collected materials. The tribe includes economically important pollinators as well as cleptoparasitic species in the genus Stelis.
Apidae
Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, and Allies
Apidae is the largest family of bees within the superfamily Apoidea, comprising at least 5,700 described species. The family encompasses remarkable diversity in social organization, ranging from highly eusocial honey bees and bumble bees to solitary digger bees and kleptoparasitic cuckoo bees. Members include economically significant pollinators such as honey bees (Apis), bumble bees (Bombus), and stingless bees (Meliponini), alongside carpenter bees (Xylocopinae), orchid bees (Euglossini), and oil-collecting bees. While the most visible representatives are social, the vast majority of apid species are solitary.
Augochloropsis
metallic sweat bees
Augochloropsis is a genus of metallic sweat bees in the family Halictidae, comprising at least 140 described species. These bees are characterized by brilliant metallic coloration, typically bright green or blue-green, though some species exhibit gold, red, or purple hues. The genus displays remarkable behavioral plasticity, with social organization ranging from solitary to communal, semisocial, and primitively eusocial nesting. Augochloropsis is restricted to the New World, with the majority of species occurring in tropical and subtropical regions and a smaller number extending into temperate North America.
Colletidae
plasterer bees, polyester bees, cellophane bees
Colletidae is a family of solitary bees comprising over 2,000 species across 54 genera and five subfamilies. Members are commonly called plasterer bees or polyester bees due to their distinctive nest cell linings: females apply oral and abdominal secretions that dry into a cellophane-like, waterproof polyester membrane. The family exhibits exceptional diversity in Australia and South America, with over 50% of Australian bee species belonging to this family. Two subfamilies, Euryglossinae and Hylaeinae, uniquely lack external pollen-carrying structures (scopa) and instead transport pollen internally in their crops, feeding larvae with liquid or semiliquid pollen masses. Most species are solitary ground-nesters, though many form dense aggregations, and some exhibit crepuscular activity with enlarged ocelli.
Exomalopsis
Exomalopsis is a genus of solitary bees in the family Apidae, tribe Exomalopsini, comprising nearly 90 described species with many more undescribed. These bees are restricted to the Western Hemisphere, occurring in both Neotropical and Nearctic realms. Species nest communally in soil, excavating deep tunnels with branching underground pathways leading to individual brood cells. The genus is notable for its complex associations with kleptoparasitic cuckoo bees and parasitoid wasps.
Halictidae
sweat bees, halictid bees
Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees with nearly 4,500 described species worldwide. Commonly called sweat bees, many species are attracted to human perspiration to obtain dissolved salts and electrolytes. The family exhibits remarkable diversity in social organization, ranging from solitary to primitively eusocial species, and includes the taxon for which the term "eusocial" was originally coined. Halictids are important pollinators of wildflowers and some agricultural crops.
Halictinae
Sweat bees, Furrow bees
The Halictinae represent the largest and most diverse subfamily of Halictidae, comprising over 2,400 species across five tribes: Augochlorini, Thrinchostomini, Caenohalictini, Sphecodini, and Halictini. These small bees are characterized by extraordinary social diversity, ranging from solitary nesting to obligate eusociality, with eusociality having evolved approximately 20-22 million years ago. The subfamily serves as a key model system for studying social evolution due to its recent origins of eusociality and extensive behavioral polymorphisms within and between species.
Halictini
sweat bees
Halictini is a cosmopolitan tribe of sweat bees (Halictidae) comprising over 2300 described species. The tribe is divided into five subtribes: Halictina, Sphecodina, Thrinchostomina, Caenohalictina, and Gastrohalictina. Members exhibit diverse social systems ranging from solitary to eusocial, with some species exhibiting social parasitism. The tribe includes the large genus Lasioglossum s.l. and the Halictus genus-group.
Megachilinae
mason bees, leafcutter bees, carder bees
Megachilinae is the largest subfamily of bees within the family Megachilidae, comprising mason bees, leafcutter bees, and carder bees. These bees are characterized by their unique nesting behaviors: leafcutters use circular pieces of leaves or petals to line brood cells, masons construct nests from mud or plant resins, and carders collect plant fibers. Unlike most bees, females carry pollen on specialized scopal hairs located on the underside of the abdomen rather than on the hind legs. The subfamily includes numerous genera distributed globally, with species exhibiting diverse habitat preferences from deserts to tropical forests.
Myopinae
Myopinae is a subfamily of thick-headed flies (family Conopidae) comprising three recognized tribes: Myopini, Sicini, and Zodionini. Members are parasitoids, with females typically attacking host insects such as bees and wasps. The subfamily has a broad distribution including the Neotropics, as documented by species such as Myopa metallica in Chile.
Oxaeinae
Oxaeinae is a subfamily of large, fast-flying bees within the family Andrenidae. They are endemic to the Americas, with 19 described species across four genera ranging from the United States to Argentina. Formerly treated as a distinct family (Oxaeidae), they were reclassified as a subfamily in 1995.
Perditina
Fairy Bees, Goblin Bees, False Goblin Bees
Perditina is a subtribe of small bees within the family Andrenidae, commonly known as Fairy Bees, Goblin Bees, and False Goblin Bees. These bees are among the smallest bees in North America, with many species measuring only a few millimeters in length. The subtribe includes the genus *Perdita*, which is extraordinarily diverse with over 800 described species, many of which are specialized pollen collectors on specific host plants. Perditina bees are primarily solitary ground-nesters and are important pollinators, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Their minute size and often striking metallic coloration distinguish them from other bee groups.
Pseudoanthidium
Small Carder Bees, African Carder Bee (for P. repetitum)
Pseudoanthidium is a genus of small carder bees in the family Megachilidae, first described by Friese in 1898. The genus occurs across Eurasia, Africa, and Australia, with nine species recorded in Europe. Some species are cavity-nesters that utilize plant fibers and foreign materials for nest construction. The introduced African carder bee (P. repetitum) has established populations in eastern and Western Australia since 2000 and shows potential for continued range expansion.
Sphecodosoma
Sphecodosoma is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae, first described by Crawford in 1907. The genus contains at least three described species: S. beameri, S. dicksoni, and S. pratti. As members of the subfamily Rophitinae, these bees are part of a diverse group of small to medium-sized bees commonly known as sweat bees due to their attraction to human perspiration. The genus is placed in the tribe Rophitini, which includes bees with varied nesting habits and floral associations.
Winterschmidtiidae
Winterschmidtiidae is a family of over 140 mite species in the order Astigmata, distributed worldwide. The family comprises four subfamilies with distinct ecological specializations: Ensliniellinae associated with Hymenoptera (especially wasps and bees), Winterschmidtiinae with wood-boring beetles, Saproglyphinae with decaying materials and fungi, and Oulenziinae with leaves, vertebrate nests, and stored foods. Many species exhibit complex life cycles synchronized with insect hosts, including phoretic deutonymphs for dispersal and seasonal polymorphisms for environmental resistance.
Xylocopinae
Carpenter Bees
Xylocopinae is a subfamily of Apidae comprising four tribes: Xylocopini (large carpenter bees), Ceratinini (small carpenter bees), Allodapini (allodapine bees), and Manueliini (genus Manuelia). It represents the most basal lineage within Apidae and exhibits remarkable diversity in social organization, ranging from solitary to primitively eusocial and obligate eusocial with morphological castes. Most species nest in dead wood, hollow stems, or pith, though some lineages nest in soil. The subfamily has a worldwide distribution except Antarctica, with highest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions.