Apoidea (Bees and bumblebees, digger wasps)

This group includes wasps referred to as apoids (bee-shaped) and bees, which derive from them.

Includes bees and their close relatives.

Apidae: honey bees (Apis), bumblebees (Bombus), and carpenter bees (Xylocopa).
Megachilidae: leafcutter bees and mason bees (used for pollination).
Sphecidae: solitary digger wasps, such as the mud dauber (Sceliphron).
Crabronidae: prey-hunting wasps, often confused with Sphecidae.
Within the Spheciformes, i.e., the apoid wasps:
- Ampulicidae Shuckard, 1840 – cockroach wasps
- Crabronidae Latreille, 1802 – the paraphyletic family from which bees evolved
- Heterogynaidae Nagy, 1969
- Sphecidae Latreille, 1802 – digger wasps
Within the Anthophila, i.e., the bees:
- Apidae Latreille, 1802 – “true” or social bees
- Andrenidae Latreille, 1802 – mining bees
- Colletidae Lepeletier, 1841 – yellow-faced or plasterer bees
- Halictidae Thomson, 1869 – sweat bees
- Megachilidae Latreille, 1802 – leafcutter bees
- Melittidae Michener, 2000 – pantaloon bees
- Stenotritidae Michener, 2000

Spheciformes (Apoid wasps)

Andrenidae are solitary ground-nesting bees commonly seen in spring, often specialized in pollen collection.

Apidae include honeybees, bumblebees, and other social or solitary species playing crucial roles in pollination.

Colletidae are discreet short-tongued bees, often associated with sandy habitats and early spring activity.

Crabronidae are solitary predatory wasps, often seen hunting or digging burrows in the ground.

Halictidae are small, often metallic bees, commonly found on flowers and sometimes attracted to human sweat.