What's A Bee?




Did you know that most people don't know how to identify a bee?  Not everything with wings that buzzes is a bee. To understand what a bee is, you must first know what it is not.

Picture
Credit: Jon Yuschock, Bugwood.org
A yellow jacket (Vespula maculifrons) is not a bee.
Picture
Credit: Kenneth M. Gale, Bugwood.org
A cicadas (Cicadidae) is not a bee.
Picture
Credit: Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org
A baldfaced hornet (Dolivhovespula maculate) is not a bee.
Picture
Credit: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
A paper wasp (Polistes) is not a bee.
Picture
Credit: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
A yellowjacket hover fly (Milesia virginensis) is not a bee.
Picture
Credit: Jessica Lawrence, Eurofins Agroscience Services, Bugwood.org
A cuckoo wasp (Chrysididae) is not a bee.