Bee: Overview

Insects belonging to the suborder Apocrita (order Hymenoptera) comprise about 20,000 species, including the well-known honeybee (Apis) and bumblebee (Bombus and Psithyrus) and thousands of other beelike wasps and flylike insects. There is a wide size range for adults, from around 2 mm to 4 cm, or 0.08–1.6 inches. Bees and wasps share a common ancestry, but the main biological distinction is that wasps need insects or spiders to stock their nests or feed their young, while bees (apart from parasitic bees) use pollen and honey. Bees have a few branched or feathered hairs that pollen commonly attaches to, while wasps are coated with unbranched hairs; this is the most fundamental anatomical difference that goes along with their different feeding preferences. Typically, male bees need to stay around longer to harvest pollen or take on other roles related to raising offspring. Female bees construct and provide the nest entirely, and they often have specialized anatomy that helps them transport pollen. Most bees collect pollen from a broad range of flower types; this trait is known as collectivity. Nevertheless, several species of bees are specialized for gathering pollen from specific flower families, while others are color-blind.