Bee Families
Worldwide, there are seven bee families and six of those families occur in North America. The following graphic summarizes the number of genera and species that occur in Minnesota within the six North American families:
Apidae
15 genera
133 species
Bumble bees (Bombus)
Longhorn bees
(Epimelissodes, Eucera, Melissodes)
Carpenter bees
(Ceratina, Xylocopa)
Honey bees (Apis)
Digger bees (Anthophora)
Cuckoo bees (Brachymelecta, Epeolus, Holcopasites, Nomada, Neolarra, Triepeolus)
Squash bees (Xenoglossa)
2 genera
39 species
Halictidae
10 genera
134 species
Metallic green sweat bees
(Agapostemon, Augochlora, Augochlorella, Augochloropsis)
Large sweat bees
(Dieunomia, Nomia)
Short-faced bees (Dufourea)
Sweat bees (Halictus)
Small sweat bees (Lasioglossum)
Cuckoo (blood) bees (Sphecodes)
Megachilidae
14 genera
86 species
Resin and pebble bees (Anthidiellum, Dianthidium, Heriades, Paranthidium)
Carder bees (Anthidium, Pseudoanthidium)
Mock orange bees (Chelostoma)
Mason bees (Osmia, Hoplitis)
Leafcutter bees (Megachile)
Sharp-tailed cuckoo bees (Coelioxys)
Dark cuckoo bees
(Stelis)
Looking for a bee ID?
To get help with bee identifications, create a free iNaturalist or BugGuide account then upload your bee photo(s) to one of these sites. Experts will help you identify your bee. Once your bee is identified, visit this site to learn more about its natural history, nesting preferences, and conservation.