Types of Bees

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The honey bee is only one of many types of bees.

There are many types of bees in this world, but the average person can probably only name two or three - usually honey bees and bumble bees - in addition to wasps and hornets, which are not bees. In fact, there are almost 20,000 bee species housed within Superfamily Apidae, and there are many unidentified, and as yet, unclassified, types of bees out there.

To put a few things in perspective:

Out of these 20,000 known species, only 7 types of bees are honey bees. It is primarily because of the potential effect of their current perilous existence on the human food system that they receive more attention than any other types of bees.
Many species of bee are considered 'solitary'. That is, they live alone rather than in colonies.
Not all types of bees wear the stereotypical black and yellow stripes. Some are not even striped, and may have black, yellow/amber, white or even red on them.

The following is a closer look at the types of bees in families included within Order, Hymenoptera:
Suborder: Apocrita
Infraorder: Aculeata
Superfamily: Apoidea

Some of the families contain wasps, and those will be examined in the wasps and hornets section. Thumbnail photos of the better-known types of bees will be provided as I get them, and maybe a few of the lesser-known as well... Feel free to email with photos of your own (info-bee@beesalive.com)!

Like I said on my pages devoted to classification, keep in mind that putting things into categories is not a perfect science. There can be a great deal of disagreement among biologists and taxonomists about the types of bees classified within a rank, for example, or even how many ranks there are, for that matter. I generally follow the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), which is a North American partnership with an international focus.

Family	Subfamily	Tribe	Genus	Examples
Ampulicidae	ampulicid wasps, cockroach wasps
Andrenidae mining bees	Andreninae		Alocandrena Ancylandrena Andrena Euherbstia Megandrena Orphana
	Oxaeinae		Mesoxaea Notoxaea Oxaea Protoxaea
	Panurginae	Calliopsini	Acamptopoeum Arhysosage Calliopsis Callonychium Litocalliopsis Spinoliella
		Melitturgini	Borgatomelissa Flavomeliturgula Gasparinahla Melitturga Meliturgula Mermiglossa Plesiopanurgus
		Neffapini	Neffapis
		Nolanomelissini	Nolanomelissa
		Panurgini	Avpanurgus Camptopoeum Clavipanurgus Flavipanurgus Panurginus Panurgus Simpanurgus
		Perditini	Macrotera Perdita
		Protandrenini	Anthemurgus Anthrenoides Austropanurgus Chaeturginus Liphanthus Parapsaenythia Parasarus Protandrena Psaenythia Pseudopanurgus Pseudosarus Rhophitulus
		Protomeliturgini	Protomeliturga
Family	Subfamily	Tribe	Genus	Examples
Apidae	Apinae	Ancylini	Ancyla Tarsalia
		Anthophorini digger bees	Amegilla Anthophora Deltoptila Elaphropoda Habrophorula Habropoda Pachymelus
		Apini	Apis honey bees
		Bombini bumble bees	Bombus
		Centridini	Centris Epicharis
		Ctenoplectrini	Ctenoplectra Ctenoplectrina
		Emphorini	Alepidosceles Ancyloscelis Diadasia Diadasina Meliphilopsis Melitoma Melitomella Ptilothrix Toromelissa
		Ericrocidini	Acanthopus Aglaomelissa Ctenioschelus Epiclopus Ericrocis Hopliphora Mesocheira Mesonychium Mesoplia
		Eucerini	see genera below
		Euglossini orchid bees	Aglae Eufriesea Euglossa Eulaema Exaerete
		Exomalopsini	Anthophorula Chilimalopsis Eremapis Exomalopsis Teratognatha
		Isepeolini	Isepeolus Melectoides
		Melectini	Afromelecta Melecta Sinomelecta Tetralonioidella Thyreomelecta Thyreus Xeromelecta Zacosmia
		Meliponini stingless bees	see genera below
		Osirini	Epeoloides Osirinus Osiris Parepeolus Protosiris
		Protepeolini	Leiopodus
		Rhathymini	Nanorhathymus Rhathymus
		Tapinotaspidini	Arhysoceble Caenonomada Chalepogenus Lanthanomelissa Monoeca Paratetrapedia Tapinotaspis Tapinotaspoides Trigonopedia
		Tetrapediini	Coelioxoides Tetrapedia
	Nomadinae cuckoo bees	Ammobatini	Ammobates Chiasmognathus Melanempis Oreopasites Parammobatodes Pasites Sphecodopsis Spinopasites
		Ammobatoidini	Aethammobates Ammobatoides Holcopasites Schmiedeknechtia
		Biastini	Biastes Neopasites Rhopalolemma
		Brachynomadini	Brachynomada Kelita Paranomada Triopasites
		Caenoprosopidini	Caenoprosopina Caenoprosopis
		Epeolini	Doeringiella Epeolus Odyneropsis Pseudepeolus Rhinepeolus Rhogepeolus Thalestria Triepeolus
		Hexepeolini	Hexepeolus
		Neolarrini	Neolarra
		Nomadini	Nomada
		Townsendiellini	Townsendiella
	Xylocopinae	Allodapini	Allodape Allodapula Braunsapis Compsomelissa Effractapis Eucondylops Exoneura Exoneurella Exoneuridia Macrogalea Nasutapis
		Ceratinini	Ceratina
		Manueliini	Manuelia
		Xylocopini carpenter bees	Xylocopa
Family	Subfamily	Tribe	Genus	Examples
Colletidae plasterer bees	Colletinae		Brachyglossula Callomelitta Chrysocolletes Colletes Eulonchopria Glossurocolletes Hesperocolletes Leioproctus Lonchopria Lonchorhyncha Mourecotelles Neopasiphae Niltonia Paracolletes Phenacolletes Scrapter Trichocolletes
	Diphaglossinae	Caupolicanini	Caupolicana Crawfordapis Ptiloglossa Willinkapis Zikanapis
		Diphaglossini	Cadeguala Cadegualina Diphaglossa
		Dissoglottini	Mydrosoma Mydrosomella Ptiloglossidia
	Euryglossinae		Brachyhesma Callohesma Dasyhesma Euhesma Euryglossa Euryglossina Euryglossula Heterohesma Hyphesma Melittosmithia Pachyprosopis Sericogaster Stenohesma Tumidihesma Xanthesma
	Hylaeinae		Amphylaeus Hemirhiza Hylaeus Hyleoides Meroglossa Palaeorhiza Xenorhiza
	Xeromelissinae		Chilicola Geodiscelis Xenochilicola Xeromelissa
Crabronidae	cicadakillers, crabronid wasps, mud daubers, sand wasps
Dasypodaidae	Dasypodainae		Capicola Dasypoda Eremaphanta Hesperapis
	Sambinae		Haplomelitta Samba
	Promelittini		Afrodasypoda Promelitta
Family	Subfamily	Tribe	Genus	Examples
Halictidae sweat bees	Halictinae	Augochlorini	see genera below
	Halictinae	Halictini	see genera below
	Nomiinae		Dieunomia Halictonomia Lipotriches Mellitidia Nomia Pseudapis Ptilonomia Reepenia Spatunomia Sphegocephala Steganomus
	Nomioidinae		Cellariella Ceylalictus Nomioides
	Rophitinae		Ceblurgus Conanthalictus Dufourea Goeletapis Micralictoides Morawitzella Morawitzia Penapis Protodufourea Rophites Sphecodosoma Systropha Xeralictus
Heterogynaidae
Family	Subfamily	Tribe	Genus	Examples
Megachilidae leaf-cutting bees	Fideliinae	Fideliini	Fidelia Neofidelia
	Fideliinae	Pararhophitini	Pararhophites
	Megachilinae	Anthidiini	see genera below
		Dioxyini	Aglaoapis Allodioxys Dioxys Ensliniana Eudioxys Metadioxys Paradioxys Prodioxys
		Lithurgini	Lithurgus Microthurge Trichothurgus
		Megachilini	Coelioxys Megachile Radoszkowskiana
		Osmiini	see genera below
Meganomiidae			Ceratomonia Meganomia Pseudophilanthus Uromonia
Melittidae	Melittinae		Macropis Melitta Rediviva Redivivoides
Sphecidae	digger wasps, mud daubers, sand wasps, sphecid wasps
Stenotritidae			Ctenocolletes Stenotritus

Genera of Tribe Eucerini

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Agapanthinus, Alloscirtetica, Canephorula, Cemolobus, Cubitalia, Eucera, Eucerinoda, Florilegus, Gaesischia, Gaesochira, Hamatothrix, Lophothygater, Martinapis, Melissodes, Melissoptila, Micronychapis, Mirnapis, Notolonia, Pachysvastra, Peponapis, Platysvastra, Santiago, Simanthedon, Svastra, Svastrides, Svastrina, Syntrichalonia, Tetralonia, Tetraloniella, Thygater, Trichocerapis, Ulugombakia, Xenoglossa

Genera of Tribe Meliponini

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Apotrigona, Austroplebeia, Axestotrigona, Camargoia, Cephalotrigona, Cleptotrigona, Dactylurina, Duckeola, Friesella, Frieseomelitta, Geniotrigona, Geotrigona, Heterotrigona, Homotrigona, Hypotrigona, Lepidotrigona, Lestrimelitta, Leurotrigona, Liotrigona, Lisotrigona, Lophotrigona, Meliplebeia, Melipona, Meliponula, Meliwillea, Mourella, Nannotrigona, Nogueirapis, Odontotrigona, Oxytrigona, Papuatrigona, Paratrigona, Paratrigonoides, Pariotrigona, Partamona, Platytrigona, Plebeia, Plebeiella, Plebeina, Ptilotrigona, Scaptotrigona, Scaura, Schwarziana, Schwarzula, Sundatrigona, Tetragona, Tetragonilla, Tetragonisca, Tetragonula, Tetrigona, Trichotrigona, Trigona, Trigonisca

Genera of Tribe Augochlorini

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Andinaugochlora, Ariphanarthra, Augochlora, Augochlorella, Augochlorodes, Augochloropsis, Caenaugochlora, Ceratalictus, Chlerogas, Chlerogella, Chlerogelloides, Corynura, Halictillus, Ischnomelissa, Megalopta, Megaloptidia, Megaloptilla, Megommation, Micrommation, Neocorynura, Neocorynurella, Paroxystoglossa, Pereirapis, Pseudaugochlora, Rhectomia, Rhinocorynura, Rhynchochlora, Temnosoma, Thectochlora, Xenochlora

Genera of Tribe Halictini

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Agapostemon, Agapostemonoides, Caenohalictus, Dinagapostemon, Eupetersia, Glossodialictus, Habralictus, Halictus, Lasioglossum, Mexalictus, Microsphecodes, Nesosphecodes, Paragapostemon, Parathrincostoma, Patellapis, Pseudagapostemon, Ptilocleptis, Rhinetula, Ruizantheda, Sphecodes, Thrinchostoma, Thrincohalictus

Genera of Tribe Anthidiini

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Acedanthidium, Afranthidium, Afrostelis, Anthidiellum, Anthidioma, Anthidium, Anthodioctes, Apianthidium, Aspidosmia, Austrostelis, Aztecanthidium, Bathanthidium, Benanthis, Cyphanthidium, Dianthidium, Duckeanthidium, Eoanthidium, Epanthidium, Euaspis, Gnathanthidium, Hoplostelis, Hypanthidioides, Hypanthidium, Icteranthidium, Indanthidium, Ketianthidium, Larinostelis, Neanthidium, Notanthidium, Pachyanthidium, Paranthidium, Plesianthidium, Pseudoanthidium, Rhodanthidium, Serapista, Stelis, Trachusa, Trachusoides, Xenostelis

Genera of Tribe Osmiini

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Afroheriades, Ashmeadiella, Atoposmia, Chelostoma, Haetosmia, Heriades, Hofferia, Hoplitis, Hoplosmia, Noteriades, Ochreriades, Osmia, Othinosmia, Protosmia, Pseudoheriades, Stenoheriades, Stenosmia, Wainia, Xeroheriades

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