Economic-insects
Guides
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.