The immediate ancestors of bees were stinging wasps in the family Crabronidae, which were predators of other insects. The switch from insect … See more

Haplodiploid breeding system
According to inclusive fitness theory, organisms can gain fitness not just through increasing their own … See more

Life cycle
The life cycle of a bee, be it a solitary or social species, involves the laying of an egg, the development through several moults of a legless See more

In mythology and folklore
Homer's Hymn to Hermes describes three bee-maidens with the power of divination and thus speaking … See more

Bees differ from closely related groups such as wasps by having branched or plume-like setae (hairs), combs on the forelimbs for cleaning … See more

Floral relationships
Most bees are polylectic (generalist) meaning they collect pollen from a range of flowering plants, but some are oligoleges (specialists), … See more

Over the last half century, there has been a general decline in the species richness of wild bees and other pollinators, probably attributable to stress from increased parasites and disease, the use of pesticides, and a general decrease in the number of wild … See more