Bees are flying
insects closely related to
wasps and
ants, known for their role in
pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the
European honey bee, for producing
honey and
beeswax. Bees are a
monophyletic lineage within the superfamily
Apoidea, presently considered as a
clade Anthophila. There are nearly 20,000 known species of bees in seven to nine recognized families, though many are undescribed and the actual number is probably higher. They are found on every continent except
Antarctica, in every habitat on the planet that contains insect-pollinated
flowering plants.
