8 Buzzworthy Types of Bees

There are more than 250 species of bumblebees (genus Bombus) in the world. These large robust bees are very efficient pollinators and are important for a number of crops as well as many wild plants. Like honeybees, they are social insects and have a nest with a queen, male drones, and workers. They are not typically aggressive but can sting multiple times with their barbless stingers.

Also known as halictids, sweat bees are a large diverse family (Halictidae) of small bees. They typically have a slender form and may be metallic green, blue, purple, or black or a nonmetallic color. These bees are not aggressive and are often attracted to perspiration (sweat) on human skin. Most nest underground. While many species live solitary lives, some are communal, semi-social, or even true social insects.

Plasterer bees, also known as cellophane bees or polyester bees, are a family (Colletidae) of about 3,000 species of small, short-tongued bees. They resemble honeybees in size and coloration, but, unlike honeybees, these insects are solitary and ground-nesting. They get their common names from the fact that the females line, or plaster, their brood cells with a type of polyester compound that resembles cellophane. This protects their eggs and young from the rain and from fungal invaders. Female plasterers will sting if stepped on but are generally very pacifistic.

Carpenter bees (subfamily Xylocopinae) resemble bumblebees but usually have a hairless abdomen and are not social insects. They get their name from the fact that the females use their strong jaws to make holes in wood as nest sites for their young. Although they are sometimes considered to be pests for the damage they may do to human structures, carpenter bees are important pollinators. While the males are territorial and may threateningly protect a nesting site, they lack stingers. The females can sting but are generally more docile.

Mining bees are members of the family Andrenidae and are found throughout the world. Many species have reddish golden hair and long prominent abdomens. These solitary bees nest in the ground, and the females often dig long elaborately branching nesting sites for their broods.

Leaf-cutter bees make up the family Megachilidae. They are solitary bees and make nests in soil, within hollow plant stalks, or in small cavities in wood. The females cut nearly circular pieces of leaves from specific vegetation (different species have different plant preferences), which they use to line their nests to protect the brood. Unlike most other bees, they collect pollen on their abdomens instead of on their hind legs.

Mason bees, sometimes called orchard bees, are a group of hundreds of gentle solitary species of bees in the genus Osmia. They are extremely efficient and important pollinators, and many farmers actively encourage mason bees on their farms to supplement or even replace honeybee pollination. Although they nest in wood cavities, mason bees do not chew wood. They rely on natural cavities or constructed “bee hotels” for nesting sites. Females collect mud to seal off the chambers of the nesting cavities, hence their common name.

Colorful orchid bees, or euglossine bees (of the tribe Euglossini), are found throughout the Americas and are particularly important pollinators of tropical forests. They are known for their very long tongues and are responsible for the pollination of more than 700 species of orchids. The males are the primary pollinators, and, rather than forage for pollen or nectar, they collect special chemicals from the orchid flowers that help them find a mate. Females live in small mud nests, which are sometimes shared with sister and mother bees. They do not have a queen and do not make honey.