Types of Bees

Honey bees (Family: Apidae)
Genus - Apis

Honey bees are classed as ‘social’ bees, as they live in colonies usually consisting of around 50,000 – 60,000 workers.  The European Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera is commonly kept by beekeepers in the West, who then harvest their honey.  In the wild, they nest in tree trunks and natural caves and large crevices.  They may sometimes make use of man-made structures, such as chimneys.

Honey bees are used extensively in crop pollination too, and along with other bees, they help to put food on our plates.  They are able to forage in cool temperatures when other bees are absent, and are very important for pollinating certain crops, such as almonds.

Bumble bees (Family: Apidae)
Genus - Bombus

Most bumble bee colonies are fairly small, from 50 to 400 workers, but usually around 120 to 200. Most species are ‘social', but there are also parasite species, known as 'cuckoo bumble bees'. These parasitic bumble bees inhabit the nests of other bumble bee hosts.

Bumble bees are excellent pollinators of many kinds of flowers, and are a welcome and familiar site in gardens. Their efficiency as pollinators is partially down to their furry body, but also because they have the ability to 'buzz pollinate'. 

Leafcutter bees (Family: Megachilidae)
Genus - Megachile

Leafcutter bees cut neat segments of leaf or petal with their jaws.  They return this to the site of their nest, and use it for constructing their egg cells.  Some species are opportunists, and will take advantage of man-made crevices, and hollows, making them a welcome visitor for bee houses in gardens. 

Pictured above left is the Coastal Leafcutter bee, Megachile maritima.
 

Mason bees (Family: Megachilidae)
Genus - Osmia

Mason bees  like to make nests in crevices, sometimes in old mortar, or even empty snail shells.  Belonging to the genus Osmia, the name means 'odor', referring to the scent they use to mark their nest entrances.  Around 500 species of Osmia have been identified around the world.

Pictured above left is the red mason bee - Osmia bicornis.

Mining bees (Family: Andrenidae)
Genus - Andrena

Mining bees belong to one of the largest families of bee genera, with around 1400 known species.  Andrena comes from the Greek for 'buzzing insect'. Mining bees are solitary, although females usually build nests quite close to each other.  Andrena species are important for pollination of some key crops, such as blueberries, apples and cranberries.  

From the name, you probably guessed that mining bees excavate tunnels and cells under-ground. If you're lucky, you may see evidence of them in your garden: little mounds of earth in lawns, borders, or even in pots that look a bit like worm casts. In general, they seem to prefer sandy soil.

Pictured above is the Tawny Mining Bee – Andrena fulva, a species found in Europe.

Large carpenter bees (Family: Apidae)
Genus - Xylocopa

More than 500 Xylocopa species are known worldwide. Xylocopa is Greek for 'wood worker', referring to the nest making habits of this species by chewing tunnels into wood.  The species pictured above left is called a 'Violet Carpenter Bee' - Xylocopa violacea.

Plasterer bees  (Family: Colletidae)
Genus - Colletes

Also known as 'cellophane bees', and sometimes even 'polyester bees'.  They are known for creating and lining their nests with a waterproof substance.

Wool Carders (Family: Megachilidae)
Genus - Anthidium

The gorgeous wool carder gathers hairs from plants, rolls them into a ball, and uses them to create its nest.  Some of these species can be mistaken for wasps because of their yellow and black body markings. There are around 160 known species worldwide.

Flower bees  (Family: Apidae)
Genus - Anthophora

The word Anthophora means 'flower bearer'.  There are around 400 known species worldwide. These bees are able to buzz pollinate, and some will emerge in the cool weather to forage in early spring.  Above is a hairy footed flower bee - Anthophora plumipes feeding on a very useful source of early spring food for bees - Pulmonaria.

Nomad bees  (Family: Apidae)
Genus - Nomada

Nomad bees could easily be mistaken for small wasps. They are cleptoparasites, often attacking the nests of bees from the Andrena genus, but sometimes the nests of Colletes, Lasioglossum and Eucera, among others. There are around 700 known species worldwide.

Long-horned bees  (Family: Apidae)
Genus - Eucera

Beautiful bees! Eucera means 'well-horned' in Greek.  The 'horns' refer to the long antennae present in the males.  Around 400 species are known worldwide.

Furrow bees  (Family: Halictidae)
Genus - Halictus

The Greek word Halictus is believed to originate from the Greek term for gathering or collecting. These bees tend to have a distinctive striped appearance.  In terms of foraging, they are generalists.  Look out for these charming bees foraging on wild flowers such as knapweed and thistles, or look to flowers from the Asteraceae family (daisy type flowers) in your garden.  Pictured above left is an orange-legged furrow bee.