Types of bees

The bees of this family are distributed throughout the world, however, we can find most of them in South America and Australia. Regarding bee species belonging to the Colletidae family, approximately 2,000 species have been described so far around the world. Some of the characteristics of the bees of this family are:

• They have an abdominal gland, called Dufour’s gland. The segregation of the polymer consisting of macrocyclic lactones is carried out by that gland.
• Polyester bees are found in this family.
• The nests of this family generally have a main tunnel that is divided into several secondary tunnels, and at the end of each of them there is a cell.
• They are good pollinators, since they need to visit many flowers to obtain the nectar and pollen that will be used to feed their young once they are born.

Within the Apidae family there are approximately 5,750 species distributed in more than 200 genera throughout the world.

• Most species are social bees, although solitary bees exist and some of them are parasitic.
• In this family is the species Apis mellifera melliferawhich stands out for presenting three main ecotypes: black bees, chestnut bees and the Heathland bee.
• Other notable specimens of this family are the African bees, also known as killer bees. This type of bee is a hybrid of crossing domestic bees belonging to several subspecies of A. mellifera with the natural African subspecies Apis mellifera scutellata.
• The very small bee species is found in India, its scientific name is Apis floreaand has the uniqueness of building a single honeycomb on the outside.

Bees of the family Halictidae, also known as sweat bees or sweat bees, are a diverse group of solitary and social bees. Some characteristics of this family are:

• Its length is 4 to 10 mm.
• Some species have a bright metallic green coloration, and others are dark in color.
• They build their nests in the ground, for which they first make a main, vertical tunnel and then other lateral ones. Each side has several cells, and in each cell the egg is deposited along with a mass of pollen.

Bees of the family Megachilidae are a diverse group of bees that belong to the order Hymenoptera. This family includes around 4,100 species described throughout the world, which are classified into 80 genera. Some features are:

• They measure 7-18 mm long.
• The scoop with which they transport pollen is located in the abdomen, unlike other species that have that organ in their legs.
• Its head is robust and its upper lip is rectangular, longer than wide.
• Some notable species of Megachilidae bees include the common mason bee, used in the pollination of crops such as alfalfa, and the leafcutter bees of the subfamily Megachilinae, which are known for cutting perfect circular pieces out of plant leaves.

The family Stenotritidae is found in Australia, and consists of around 27 species described to date.

• These bees make their nests on the ground, fly at high speed and are densely hairy.
• Since the Stenotritidae family is less known compared to other bee families, research into their biology, ecology and behavior is ongoing, and new species may be discovered in the future.
• These bees play an important role in Australian ecosystems and are an integral part of the diversity of fauna in the region.

In this family there are around 180 species distributed in 15 genera, which live in Africa and the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Some of its most notable features are:

• They are small to moderate in size.
• They have a scoop to collect pollen.
• They are oligolectic, therefore they will only be observed collecting pollen from some plant species.
• The species Rediviva emdeorum It has the uniqueness of collecting floral oil instead of pollen to feed its larvae. This species has tibiae that are longer than the body, and they use them as sponges to collect oils.

The Andrenidae family is found in different regions of the world, especially in temperate or arid areas. It is a large and diverse family that includes around 3,000 described species, which are organized into 45 genera. Some notable characteristics in this family are:

• They have scoops on the basal segments of the leg and also on the tibia, which they use to collect pollen.
• They are specialized pollinators. Bees that belong to the subfamily Panurginae are oligolectic, that is, they collect pollen only from some related plant species.
• Some species are crepuscular, that is, they only carry out their activities at dusk or evening.

Now that you know the different types of bees that exist, don’t miss these other BIOencyclopedia articles on the Differences between bees and wasps and the Bee.

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