List of bees of Great Britain facts for kids

Great Britain is home to many amazing creatures, and among the most important are bees! These busy insects play a huge role in our environment, helping plants grow by carrying pollen from one flower to another. This process is called pollination, and it's super important for producing fruits, vegetables, and seeds.

There are many different kinds of bees in Great Britain, each with its own unique habits and looks. They all belong to a larger group of insects called Apoidea, which includes all bees. Let's explore some of the fascinating bee families you can find here!

Bee Families in Great Britain

Family Colletidae: Plasterer and Yellow-Face Bees

This family includes some interesting bees like the plasterer bees and yellow-face bees. They are often called "primitive" bees because they have some features that are thought to be older in bee evolution.

Genus Colletes: Plasterer Bees

Plasterer bees get their name because they line their nests with a special, clear, cellophane-like substance. This makes their nests waterproof and safe for their young. You might find them nesting in sandy soil.

• Colletes cunicularius, the vernal colletes bee, is one of the first bees to appear in spring.
• Colletes hederae, the ivy bee, is a more recent arrival in southern Britain and loves to visit ivy flowers in autumn.

Genus Hylaeus: Yellow-Face Bees

These bees are quite small and often don't look much like typical bees. They have very little hair and often have yellow or white markings on their faces. They carry pollen internally, not on their legs, which is unusual for bees!

• Hylaeus communis, the common yellow-face bee, is widespread and can be found in many gardens.

Family Andrenidae: Mining Bees

Mining bees are one of the largest groups of bees in Great Britain. They are called "mining bees" because most of them dig tunnels in the ground to make their nests. You might see small mounds of soil, like tiny volcanoes, which are the entrances to their homes.

Genus Andrena: Mining Bees

There are many species of Andrena bees, and they come in various sizes and colours. Many are active in spring and are important pollinators for early-blooming flowers.

• Andrena cineraria, the ashy mining bee, is a striking bee with black and grey stripes.
• Andrena fulva, the tawny mining bee, is a fluffy, orange-brown bee often seen in gardens.
• Andrena haemorrhoa, the orange-tailed mining bee, has a distinctive orange tip on its abdomen.

Subgenus Micrandrena: Mini-Miners

These are tiny mining bees, often hard to spot! They also nest in the ground.

• Andrena minutula, the common miniature mining bee, is one of the smallest bees you might encounter.

Genus Panurgus: Shaggy Bees

These bees are known for their hairy bodies. They are less common than mining bees.

• Panurgus banksianus, the large shaggy bee, is one of the two species found in Britain.

Family Halictidae: Furrow Bees and Blood Bees

This family includes a diverse group of bees, many of which are metallic green or copper in colour. Some species live alone, while others live in small groups, almost like a mini-colony.

Genus Halictus: End-Banded Furrow Bees

These bees often have pale bands at the end of their body segments.

• Halictus tumulorum, the bronze furrow bee, is a common sight.

Genus Lasioglossum: Base-Banded Furrow Bees

Many bees in this group are shiny and metallic. They often have pale bands at the base of their body segments.

• Lasioglossum calceatum, the common furrow bee, is very widespread.
• Lasioglossum morio, the common green furrow bee, is a beautiful metallic green bee.

Genus Sphecodes: Blood Bees

Blood bees are special because they are cuckoo bees. This means they don't build their own nests. Instead, the female blood bee lays her eggs in the nests of other bees, often furrow bees, and her larvae then feed on the pollen and nectar collected by the host bee. They often have reddish abdomens, which gives them their name.

• Sphecodes gibbus, the dark-winged blood bee, is a common cuckoo bee.

Family Melittidae: Pantaloon and Blunthorn Bees

This is a smaller family of bees, but they are very interesting!

Genus Dasypoda: Pantaloon Bees

These bees are famous for the huge, fluffy pollen brushes on their hind legs, which look a bit like pantaloons!

• Dasypoda hirtipes, the pantaloon bee, is a striking bee found in sandy areas.

Genus Melitta: Blunthorn Bees

These bees are often specialists, meaning they only collect pollen from certain types of flowers.

• Melitta leporina, the clover blunthorn bee, is a good example, often found on clover.

Family Megachilidae: Mason, Leaf-Cutter, and Wool Carder Bees

This family includes bees that use different materials to build their nests, like leaves, mud, or plant fibres. They often nest in holes in wood or hollow stems.

Genus Anthidium: Wool Carder Bees

These bees are known for collecting plant hairs to line their nests. The males are often territorial and can be quite aggressive towards other insects.

• Anthidium manicatum, the European wool carder bee, is a common and easily recognizable species.

Genus Osmia: Mason Bees

Mason bees get their name because they use mud or chewed-up plant material to build cell walls in their nests. They often nest in hollow stems or holes in wood.

• Osmia bicornis, the red mason bee, is a very common and friendly bee often seen in gardens and bee hotels.
• Osmia caerulescens, the blue mason bee, is a beautiful metallic blue-green bee.

Genus Megachile: Leaf-Cutter Bees

Leaf-cutter bees are famous for cutting neat, circular pieces of leaves to line their nests. They roll these pieces into thimble-shaped cells for their eggs.

• Megachile centuncularis, the patchwork leaf-cutter bee, is a common species that creates very tidy nests.

Genus Coelioxys: Sharp-Tailed Bees

These are another group of cuckoo bees, similar to the blood bees. They lay their eggs in the nests of leaf-cutter bees. They often have pointed abdomens.

• Coelioxys rufescens, the rufescent sharp-tailed bee, is one of the species that parasitizes leaf-cutter bees.

Family Apidae: Bumblebees, Honeybees, and Cuckoo Bees

This is a very well-known family that includes the social honeybees and bumblebees, as well as many solitary bees and cuckoo bees.

Genus Nomada: Nomad Bees

Nomad bees are cuckoo bees that mostly target mining bees. They often look a bit like wasps, with yellow and black markings, and are less hairy than other bees.

• Nomada goodeniana, Gooden's nomad bee, is a common species.

Genus Eucera: Long-Horned Bees

The males of these bees have incredibly long antennae, which is how they get their name!

• Eucera longicornis, the long-horned bee, is a beautiful bee found in grassy areas.

Genus Anthophora: Flower Bees

Flower bees are often quite large and hairy, and they are very fast flyers. They are important pollinators for many flowers.

• Anthophora plumipes, the hairy-footed flower bee, is a common and distinctive bee with long hairs on its legs.

Genus Xylocopa: Large Carpenter Bees

These are very large, often black or metallic blue bees that can bore tunnels into wood to make their nests. They are not as common in Great Britain as in warmer climates.

• Xylocopa violacea, the violet carpenter bee, is a striking bee with dark, iridescent wings.

Genus Bombus: Bumblebees

Bumblebees are some of the most loved and recognizable bees. They are social insects, living in colonies with a queen, workers, and males. They are very important pollinators, especially in cooler climates.

• Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee, is one of the most common bumblebees you'll see.
• Bombus lapidarius, the red-tailed bumblebee, is a striking black bee with a bright red tail.
• Bombus hortorum, the garden bumblebee, has a very long tongue, perfect for reaching nectar in deep flowers.
• Bombus hypnorum, the tree bumblebee, often nests in bird boxes or tree cavities.

Subgenus Psithyrus: Cuckoo Bumblebees

Just like some solitary bees, there are cuckoo bumblebees! These bees don't collect pollen or build nests. Instead, the female cuckoo bumblebee enters the nest of another bumblebee species, takes over, and lays her eggs, letting the host workers raise her young.

• Bombus bohemicus, the gypsy cuckoo-bee, often targets the white-tailed bumblebee.

Genus Apis: Honeybees

Honeybees are famous for living in large, highly organized colonies and producing honey. They are vital for agriculture and the environment.

• Apis mellifera, the western honey bee, is the species kept by beekeepers. A native subspecies, Apis mellifera mellifera, the European dark bee, is also found in Great Britain.