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Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees
Other Common Names Spanish abeja, French abeille Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Recent phylogenomic studies indicate that bees may have arisen from within Crabronidae rather than being sister to Crabronidae (1). However, the relevant studies (at least three) differ from each other with respect to which crabronid subgroup is resolved as the sister group of the bees. Therefore further testing is required. Explanation of Names English bee is ultimately from the Indo-European bhī 'bee, insect' ( Wiktionary), perhaps an imitation of buzzing. Many European languages have a word for bee derived from the same root. Numbers ~3,500 spp. in our area; >20,000 described spp. worldwide (2)(3)Identification Pronotum short, collar-like. Body usually very hairy. A distinctive feature of bees is that their hairs (at least some of them, particularly on the thorax) are branched or plumose; while those of wasps are simple. The hairs of bees collect pollen that they periodically brush and store on pollen transporting apparatus. Only females have pollen transporting apparatus:
1. Scopae, brushes of hairs on the hind legs. In Megachilidae the scopa is on the abdomen.
2. Corbiculae, basket-like structures on the hind tibia, as in the honey bee and related groups, (corbiculate Apidae).
The bees that lay their eggs in other bees' nests, “cuckoo bees", look wasplike; they have less hair and lack pollen transporting apparatus.
Key to e. US spp. in (4), to e. Canada genera in (5), to cleptoparasitic larvae in (6)Range Worldwide, except high mountains and polar regions. However, there are a few bumble bees that live within the Arctic circle such as ( B. polaris and its social parasite B. hyperboreus ( Heinrich 1979) Food Primarily nectar and pollen from flowers. A few collect floral oils.
Many species collect pollen from a wide range of plants (polylectic), others specialize on some members of the same family (mesolectic), or on a single genus (oligolectic), or rarely only one species (monolectic)
Remarks Pollen collecting bees are extremely important for the pollination of plants, including many crops such as most fruits and vegetables. Their pollinating services in the U. S. have been estimated in the millions of dollars. Not only honey bees but many other species of bees play this role. Honey bees and bumble bees are eusocial; their colonies consist of a queen, workers and drones. Some halictid bees are primitively social.
Melittosphex burmensis Poinar and Danforth is allegedly the oldest fossil bee, but this placement has not been endorsed by all leading apoid specialists, some of whom suspect that it my prove to be a wasp. See treatment as incertae sedis here Melittosphex burmensis. Line drawing reconstructions show features of a definitive bee but published photographs do not. Wikipedia
Non-native Bees
Andrena wilkella, No common name. From Europe
Family Apidae – Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees
Anthophora villosula, no common name. From the Palaearctic. 1980s or 1990s
Apis mellifera, Honey Bee. From Europe, centuries ago
Centris nitida, No common name. From the Neotropics, very recently
Ceratina dallatorreana, No common name. From Europe and the Middle East
Euglossa dilemma, Dilemma Orchid Bee. From the Neotropics, very recently
Xylocopa appendiculata, no common name. From China and Japan, 2012
Family Colletidae – Plasterer Bees, Masked or Yellow-faced Bees
Hylaeus communis, no common name. Very recently, 2010s
Hylaeus hyalinatus, No common name. From Europe, North Africa
Hylaeus leptocephalus, No common name. From the Palaearctic
Hylaeus pictipes, no common name. Very recently, 2010s
Hylaeus punctatus, No common name. From Europe, 1980's
Halictus tectus, No common name. From Europe, recently
Lasioglossum leucozonium, No common name. From the Palaearctic
Lasioglossum zonulum, No common name. From the Palaearctic
Family Megachilidae – Leaf-cutter bees, Mason Bees, and allies
Anthidium manicatum, Wool Carder Bee. From Europe
Anthidium oblongatum, No common name. From Europe, 1995
Chelostoma campanularum , No common name. From Europe
Chelostoma rapunculi, No common name. From the Palaearctic
Coelioxys coturnix, No common name. From Europe, very recently
Hoplitis anthocopoides, No common name. From Europe
Lithurgus chrysurus, Mediterranean Wood Boring Bee. From Europe in 1978
Megachile apicalis, No common name. From Europe and the Middle East
Megachile concinna, Pale leafcutting bee. From Africa
Megachile lanata, No common name. From Ethiopian/Oriental regions
Megachile rotundata, Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee. From the Old World
Megachile sculpturalis, Giant Resin Bee. From Asia, 1990s
Megachile umbripennis, No common name. From Asia
Osmia caerulescens, No common name. From the Palaearctic
Osmia cornifrons, Hornfaced Bee. From Japan, 1977
Osmia taurus, No common name. From SE Asia, recently
Pseudoanthidium nanum, No common name. From Europe, very recently
Print References History of early bee diversification ( Danforth et al. 2006) Works Cited | 3. | The bees of Colorado (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)
V.L. Scott, J.S. Ascher, T. Griswold, C.R. Nufio. 2011. Natural History Inventory of Colorado 23: vi+100 pp. | |
| 4. | Bees of the eastern United States
Mitchell T.B. 1962. Tech. Bull. (NC Agric. Exp. Sta.): No. 141 (538 pp.), 1960; and No. 152 (557 pp.). | |
| 5. | The bee genera of Eastern Canada
L. Packer, J.A. Genaro, C.S. Sheffield. 2007. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 3. | |
| 7. | The Bees of the World, 2nd edition
Charles D. Michener. 2007. The Johns Hopkins University Press. | |
| 8. | Bees of the World
C. O'Toole & A. Raw. 1999. Blandford. 192 pp. | |
| 9. | Bees of Wisconsin (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)
A.T. Wolf & J.S. Ascher. 2009. The Great Lakes Entomologist 41: 129-168. | |
Contributed by Beatriz Moisset on 27 October, 2004 - 12:57pm Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, john and jane balaban, Joel Kits, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Graham M, John S. Ascher, ceiseman, v belov, PaleoJon, Nathaniel GreenLast updated 23 February, 2023 - 3:08am |
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