All in the Apidae family

November 18, 2009 7:50 PM

The Apidae family of bees includes a large variety species with interesting traits. Bees in Apidae are all long tongued bees. Not all have scopa. Those without a scopa cannot collect pollen and are cleptoparasitic. Some are solitary. Some are colonial. Some are burrowers. Most are not. Most collect pollen and nectar. Some do not and yet still produce honey.

The Apidae family is mostly known for honey bees, carpenter bees, orchid bees, cuckoo bees, and bumble bees. Some of the Apidae family members you may not be familiar with are the Amegilla bees and the stingless bees which include the Carrion bee.

The Amegilla bees are burrowers. The males are known to fight each other to the death en masse when the females emerge from their burrows.

The stingless bees are cultured for honey just like European honey bee. While their methods for defending the hive differ, they are still effective.

Carrion bees are also called Vulture bees. There are only three known species. Carrion bees are the only bees that feed on meat instead of pollen and nectar.

posted by onhazier (10 comments total)

This post isn't generating as much BUZZ as it really should.

Bees are completely awesome. Here are some more fun and interesting facts about bees.

I just love bees.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!
posted by turgid dahlia at 8:37 PM on November 18, 2009

Yay bees! Cool post, thanks.
posted by doctor_negative at 9:12 PM on November 18, 2009

Bees are awesome. Thank you.
posted by crataegus at 9:59 PM on November 18, 2009

Whoa! NEATO! I wish I needed a new internet name because melipona (the stingless bee link) would SO be it!
posted by susanbeeswax at 10:45 PM on November 18, 2009

My favorite sort of bee is probably the Green Virescent Metallic Bee.
posted by oonh at 1:24 AM on November 19, 2009

The Green Virescent Metallic Bee is beautiful. It is in the Halictidae family; not Apidae. So, it is a type of sweat bee.
posted by onhazier at 6:02 AM on November 19, 2009

great post! been fascinated with stingless bees of central america, of late. all hail xunan cab!
posted by lapolla at 6:18 AM on November 19, 2009

Tired of clover and wildflower. I'm wondering how a taste comparison of toad egg against lizard honey would turn out.
posted by Stig at 6:55 AM on November 19, 2009

Bees in Apidae is my new mand name.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:00 AM on November 19, 2009

Sorry, band name.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:13 AM on November 19, 2009