bee bees flying insects closely related ants known role case best known bee species european honey bee producing honey bees lineage presently considered clade nearly known species bees seven recognized families actual number probably higher found continent antarctica habitat planet contains insect flowering plants species including honey bees bees live socially colonies bees adapted feeding primarily energy source primarily protein nutrients food larvae bee important commercially decline wild bees increased value commercially managed honey bees bees range size tiny bee species workers millimetres long largest species bee females attain length millimetres common bees sweat bees small mistaken flies predators bees include birds bee insect predators include human practised times ancient egypt apart honey honey bees produce royal bees appeared mythology folklore ancient times feature works literature varied potter tale poem lake isle bee larvae included dish eaten steamed evolution ancestors bees family predators insects switch insect prey resulted consumption prey insects flower visitors partially covered fed wasp larvae evolutionary scenario occurred evolved predatory ancestors recently oldest non compression bee fossil found new_jersey amber cretaceous age bee bee fossil early cretaceous considered extinct lineage collecting sister modern bees derived features morphology place clearly bees retains ancestral traits legs mid spurs slender hind showing transitional status considerable diversity bee highly appeared roughly appear fossils late early known known trace fossils characteristic leaf known boundary appear early species found amber known fossil brood cells pleistocene age earliest animal flowers shallow cup shaped insects beetles syndrome insect established appearance bees novelty bees specialized agents physical modifications specifically enhance efficient insects process flowers developed floral rewards longer tubes bees developed longer extract bees developed structures known hairs collect carry location type differ groups bees bees hairs located hind legs underside bees family possess hind legs species lack entirely instead collect crops drove radiation turn bees bees flowers believed bees bees provide hairs called appear provide return believed eat fungi attack relationship case phylogeny external based molecular phylogeny demonstrate bees arose deep broken internal bee families based places families inside english names available given description usually easy recognise particular insect bee differ closely related groups having branched like cleaning antennae small differences limb structure hind wings females having seventh dorsal abdominal plate divided half plates obvious characteristics bees collect provide provisions young necessary adaptations certain wasp species similar species bee feed offspring world largest species bee thought indonesian bee females attain length millimetres smallest species dwarf bees tribe workers millimetres length bee pair large compound eyes cover surface head small simple eyes provide information bee light intensity antennae usually thirteen segments males females having elbow joint way house large numbers sense organs detect touch smell taste small detect air movement hear sounds adapted having pair long segments pair robust legs pair wings hind segments legs bees bear cleaning antennae species hind legs bear flattened sections hairs secure collected wings flight somewhat smaller hind wings connect row hooks margin connect groove abdomen segments modified sting breeding system according inclusive fitness theory organisms gain fitness increasing reproductive output close relatives evolutionary terms individuals help relatives cost benefit requirements easily fulfilled species bees unusual structure species females develop eggs males eggs male copy gene daughters copies gene share genes mother share genes mechanism sex determination gives rise hamilton termed closely related sisters offspring workers reproduce pass genes helping raise sisters queens having offspring genes unusual situation proposed explanation multiple independent arising separate times species conversely bees species queens mate multiple males creating half sisters share genes necessary sufficient queens mating singly ancestral state species far investigated likely contributed evolution bees bees solitary live types communities advanced colonies found honey bees bees characterised having cooperative brood care division labour reproductive non reproductive adults different types believed evolved separately times bees species groups females sisters division labour group considered group called addition group consists mother queen daughters workers male certain stages purely alternatives system considered paper system considered highly species highly bees rarely studied family sweat bees colonies typically small dozen fewer workers average queens workers differ size species single season colony cycle tropics females species long active seasons attain colony sizes hundreds bees include species similar biology bees colonies progressive food supplied gradually develops case honey bees like queen nest colonies typically bees peak population occurs mid late summer nest architecture simple limited size pre existing nest cavity colonies rarely year set review threat status species world wide iucn red list criteria bees highly mass complex nest architecture perennial colonies true honey bees genus highly best known insects subspecies native europe middle_east africa bees hybrid strain escaped experiments involving crossing european african subspecies unusually defensive solitary communal bees bees including familiar insects carpenter bees bees mason bees solitary sense female fertile typically inhabits nest division labor nests lack queens worker bees species solitary bees typically produce honey solitary bees important gather provision nests food brood mixed form paste like consistency solitary bees advanced types carrying structures bodies species solitary bees commercial species belong distinct set genera commonly known nesting behavior preferences carpenter bees sweat bees mason bees bees bees dwarf carpenter bees bees bees bees solitary bees nest ground variety soil textures conditions create nests hollow twigs holes wood female typically creates compartment cell egg provisions resulting seals nest consist numerous cells nest wood usually closer entrance contain eggs males adult provide care brood egg laid usually dies making nests males typically emerge ready mating females emerge solitary bees unlikely sting self defense solitary females individual nests species bee bee preferring nests near species giving appearance social large groups solitary bee nests called distinguish colonies species multiple females share common nest makes provisions cells independently type group called communal uncommon primary advantage appears nest entrance easier defend predators parasites multiple females entrance regular basis biology life cycle life cycle bee solitary social species involves laying egg development stage insect undergoes complete followed emergence winged adult solitary bees bees temperate climates adults emerge spring increasing numbers flowering plants come bloom males usually emerge search females mate sex bee determined egg mating female stores sperm determines sex required time individual egg laid eggs producing female offspring eggs males tropical bees generations year stage egg generally slightly curved tapering end case solitary bees laid cell supply mixed rolled placed pile known mass social species bee progressive fed regularly grows nest varies hole ground wood solitary bees substantial structure wax honey bees larvae generally whitish roughly oval pointed ends segments segment breathing legs able confines cell helped sides short horns head jaws food mouth tipped mouth liquid silk use produce seen semi transparent course days insect undergoes form adult bee ready emerge splits skin climbs winged adult breaks cell flight book vol des wrote applied air resistance insects found flight explained fixed wing calculations shouldn surprised results calculations don square reality led common bees violate aerodynamic theory fact merely confirms bees engage fixed wing flight flight explained mechanics helicopters shown created insects wings helped provide lift high speed cinematography robotic mock bee wing showed lift generated unconventional combination short wing strokes rapid rotation wing direction fast wing beat frequency frequency normally increases size decreases bee wing beat covers small arc flaps approximately times second faster times second times smaller navigation communication finding food studied navigation honey bee showed honey bees communicate dance worker indicates location food source workers demonstrated bees recognize desired compass direction different ways sun pattern blue sky earth magnetic field showed sun preferred main compass mechanisms cloudy skies inside dark bees navigate spatial memory rich map like organization ecology floral relationships bees meaning collect range flowering plants specialists gather species genera closely related plants specialist include bee species gather floral instead male bees gather compounds cases male bees effective bees able sense presence desirable flowers flowers floral electromagnetic fields landed bee uses quality taste determine continue visiting similar flowers rare cases plant species effectively single bee species plants endangered threatened pronounced tendency bees associated common widespread plants visited multiple associated bush arid parts united_states southwest example models bees coloured typically orange black warning ability defend powerful sting models non insects bee flies flies gain measure protection looking like bees bees insects colour scheme including beetles butterflies acquiring bitter poisonous chemicals plant food including bees benefit reduced risk predation results easily recognised warning coloration bees plants bee appearance scent female bee male bees attempt mate lip flower brood parasites brood parasites occur bee families including subfamily females bees lack collecting structures construct nests typically enter nests collecting species lay eggs cells host bee bee host ball host egg arctic bee species particular aggressive species attack bees subgenus unlike bee brood parasites collect south africa african destroyed parasitic workers cape lay eggs escaping normal worker leading colony destruction parasites bees subgenus closely related resemble hosts looks size common pattern gave rise ecological principle rule bees different families like species genus species genus attacks bees nocturnal bees bee families contain species tropical subtropical live arid regions higher latitudes bees greatly enlarged extremely sensitive light dark incapable forming images compound eyes combine output elements compound eyes provide light ability fly night enables avoid predators exploit flowers produce night predators parasites predators bees include bee short catch insects flight fly continually catching insects honey attacks bees nests eats larvae greater humans guiding nests wild bees humans break open nests honey bird feeds larvae wax mammals predators dig nests eat larvae stored food specialist ambush predators visitors flowers include crab spiders wait flowering plants insects predatory bugs praying flower tropics wait aggressive flowers large attack bees estimated single colony kill thousand day prey observed predatory insects catch bees include flies honey bees affected parasites including bees believed relationship bees humans mythology folklore bee power speaking truth described homer hymn food gods identified honey bee originally associated apollo probably correctly identified honey according greek myth discovered called bee honey offered greek gods times bees associated called bee image community honey bees ancient modern times aristotle shakespeare political social model human society english folklore bees told important events household custom known telling bees literature illustrated book tale features brood pictured poem lake isle contains rows honey bee live bee loud time living west london treasure hunt book bee uses bees story puzzle secret life bees film starring tells story girl escapes abusive home finds way live family sting tale describes efforts save britain biology playwright fantasy bees tells tale bee named hatching onwards humorous animated film bee movie script work children starred bee named alongside critics found premise awkward delivery humans kept honey bee colonies commonly collect honey royal bees kept crops produce bees sale depictions humans collecting honey wild bees date years ago efforts shown egyptian art years ago simple smoke honey found tombs 18th century european understanding colonies biology bees allowed construction honey harvested destroying colony authors use smoke described history animals book book written aristotle account mentions bees die workers remove corpses guard including workers non working kings queens predators including bee dance irresistible suggestion watch described detail mentioned commercial bees play important role flowering plants major type ecosystems contain flowering plants estimated human food supply depends insects birds bats accomplished bees especially european honey bee contract overtaken role honey production countries feral honey bees declined dramatically absent number colonies kept declined slightly systematic use closure businesses rate attrition increased described colony collapse disorder virus fungus shown killed colony deadly combination winter losses increased thought responsible half losses apart colony collapse disorder losses outside attributed causes including seed european_union restricted stop bee populations declining climate change report warned bees faced increased risk extinction global warming farmers focused alternative solutions order problems raising native plants provide food native bee like leading reliance honey bee populations food honey natural product produced bees stored use sweetness appealed humans bees attempted humans raiding nests honey smoke subdue bees activities depicted rock paintings spain dated indigenous people countries eat insects including consuming larvae bees bees gather bee brood larvae surrounding cells consumption indonesian dish bee larvae eaten companion rice mixed wrapped banana leaves steamed honey bees commercially produce honey produce substances possible health benefits royal cause reactions painful bees associated poison abdominal containing chemicals contains evidence nest construction
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