Up close, pictures of leafcutter bees also show they have large mandibles or jaws to slice through leaves. Although leafcutter bees sting, their sting isn’t as severe as a honey bee’s sting. They are solitary insects that live in nests, crevices, burrows, and hollow twigs. These ‘leaf-cutting’ bees are medium-sized bees that don’t produce honey.

Also called leafcutting bees, these insects are one of the largest genera of bees, with more than 1,500 species of Megachile.

As their name suggests, leafcutter bees chew leaves that they then take back to the nest. Leafcutter bees have slender bodies with pronounced black and pale yellow stripes with pollen-carrying hairs on the underside of their abdomen. The underside abdomen of leafcutter bee has pale yellow hairs to carry pollen Look for distinctive yellow and black bands and tails that are generally white, but could also be yellow or red. Bumble bee identificationīumble bees are large bees with hairy bodies and legs. Similar to honey bees, bumble bees have pollen sacs on their hind legs. Also, bumble bees have a wider body and fuzzier appearance compared to honey bees. They only store small amounts of food in the nest. Unlike honey bees, bumble bees live in nests and smaller colonies. The name “bumble bee” accurately describes their buzzing and sometimes clumsy movements while collecting pollen and nectar from flowers. There are 250 individual species of bumble bees, most of which have similar identifying features. Depending on the bumble bee species, they may have red or yellow tails. Bumble Bee ( Bombus)īumble bees can be identified by their fuzzy appearance and large black and yellow body with a white tailīumble bees are easy to spot with their round fuzzy bodies with black and yellow stripes and white tails. Honey bees can grow up to 1/2” (1.2 cm) long. Look for pollen baskets (corbicula) on their black hind legs. Western honey bees have a hairy brown-colored thorax and black and dark orange bands on their relatively smooth abdomen. These include the eastern honey bee (Apis cerana), the giant honey bee (Apis dorsata), and Koschevnikov’s honey bee (Apis koschevnikovi). Out of the 20,000 bee species worldwide, only eight belong to the honey bee genus Apis. Beekeepers prefer them for their non-aggressive behavior and abundant honey production. Western honey bees are also known as European honey bees, and they are the primary species used for honey production. Female honey bees have hind legs with pollen pouches used to transport pollen to the hive. Like all bees, honey bees have a body composed of three segments: head, thorax, and abdomen.

Honey bees have three pairs of fuzzy black legs, a pair of antennae, and two pairs of wings. Western honey bees are easy to identify as they have a honey-colored look and a relatively smooth abdomen. Western honey bees have black and tan-yellow stripes on their slender bodies. The Western honey bee has black and orange-yellow bands on the abdomen and hair on the thorax Fascinatingly, there are even bee species that showcase captivating shiny green metallic hues. Certain bumble bee species exhibit black coloration, while others feature a combination of black, white, and yellow markings. Meanwhile, larger carpenter bees tend to be predominantly black. Many honey bees, for instance, display shades of brown or tan. The colors exhibited by bees vary across species. On the other hand, carpenter bees resemble bumblebees but are predominantly black, with shorter hairs. They have fuzzy bodies with black and yellow stripes and are larger compared to honey bees. While differentiating between bumble bees and honey bees may be relatively straightforward, distinguishing other bee species can be more difficult. However, bee identification can pose challenges as many species share similar characteristics. The identification of bee species relies on key factors such as shape, size, color, and habitats. With over 20,000 species, the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the most well-known, renowned for its honey production. Most bee species are identifiable by their fuzzy bodies, often adorned with black and yellow or orange stripes. Our comprehensive bee identification chart will assist you in recognizing and distinguishing the identifying features of various types of bees.īees are small flying insects commonly found in summer gardens, buzzing from flower to flower. Have you ever come across a bee and wished you could identify it? This article is a visual guide designed to help you identify 37 different types of bees. Share on Email Share on Pinterest Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn

Honey bee wings