8 Buzzworthy Types of Bees

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Images

A blue banded bee (Amegilla) hovers near a white flower, with green foliage in the background, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Closeup of a bumblebee (Bombus bimaculatus) feeding on the purple bloom of a Canada thistle at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan.

A metallic green sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) collects pollen on the dark purple center of a bright yellow coneflower.

Close-up of a plasterer bee, Colletes daviesanus, with striped abdomen and fuzzy thorax, perched on the edge of a green leaf.

A carpenter bee (Xylocopa) with iridescent blue wings collects nectar from a pink vetch (Vicia) flower in a green garden setting.

Close-up of a tawny mining bee, Andrena fulva, showing its orange-brown furry body and translucent wings as it stands on lichen-covered wood.

A leafcutter bee (Megachile species) rests on a stone while holding a cut piece of green leaf under its body.

A female blue mason bee (Osmia caerulescens) carries leaf mastic while flying toward an insect box nest entrance in a garden, close-up view.

A green orchid bee (Euglossa) clings to the yellow stamens of a white flower while pollinating, with its metallic body and wings clearly visible.

All Hail the Queens

8 Buzzworthy Types of Bees: Media

There are so many amazing bees out there!

Images

A blue banded bee (Amegilla) hovers near a white flower, with green foliage in the background, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

blue-banded bee

Most bees are black with yellow or brown markings. However, some, such as the blue-banded...

© karthik photography—Moment Open/Getty Images

Closeup of a bumblebee (Bombus bimaculatus) feeding on the purple bloom of a Canada thistle at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan.

Two-spotted bumblebee

Closeup of a two-spotted bumblebee (Bombus bimaculatus), feeding on Canada...

© Ed Reschke—Stone/Getty Images

A metallic green sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) collects pollen on the dark purple center of a bright yellow coneflower.

Sweat bee

Bicolored striped sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) foraging on a coneflower.

© marcophotos—iStock/Getty Images

Close-up of a plasterer bee, Colletes daviesanus, with striped abdomen and fuzzy thorax, perched on the edge of a green leaf.

Plasterer bee

Close-up of a plasterer bee (Colletes daviesanus).

© Wirestock/Dreamstime.com

A carpenter bee (Xylocopa) with iridescent blue wings collects nectar from a pink vetch (Vicia) flower in a green garden setting.

Carpenter bee

A violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) on a vetch (Vicia) flower.

© Mickis Fotowelt/stock.adobe.com

Close-up of a tawny mining bee, Andrena fulva, showing its orange-brown furry body and translucent wings as it stands on lichen-covered wood.

tawny mining bee

Tawny mining bee (Andrena fulva).

© Henk/stock.adobe.com

A leafcutter bee (Megachile species) rests on a stone while holding a cut piece of green leaf under its body.

leaf-cutter bee

Leaf-cutter bee (Megachile species) with a piece of leaf.

© Peter J. Traub/stock.adobe.com

A female blue mason bee (Osmia caerulescens) carries leaf mastic while flying toward an insect box nest entrance in a garden, close-up view.

Blue mason bee

Female blue mason bee (Osmia caerulescens) flying into an insect box in...

© Andy Sands—Nature Picture Library/Alamy

A green orchid bee (Euglossa) clings to the yellow stamens of a white flower while pollinating, with its metallic body and wings clearly visible.

Orchid bee

A green orchid bee (Euglossa species) pollinating a flower.

© Pedro_Turner—iStock/Getty Images

Interactives

All Hail the Queens

All Hail the Queens

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