Apoidea 226167 206059343 2008-04-16T17:29:30Z Polinizador 6621576 /* References */ {{Taxobox | name = Apoidea | image = Bee PD foto explained1.jpg | image_width = 200px | image_caption = ''[[Apis mellifera]]'', the Western Honeybee | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Arthropod]]a | classis = [[Insect]]a | ordo = [[Hymenoptera]] | subordo = [[Apocrita]] | superfamilia = '''Apoidea''' | subdivision_ranks = Series and families | subdivision = [[Spheciformes]] *[[Ampulicidae]] *[[Crabronidae]] *[[Heterogynaidae]] *[[Sphecidae]] [[Bee|Anthophila]] *[[Andrenidae]] *[[Apidae]] *[[Colletidae]] *[[Dasypodaidae]] *[[Halictidae]] *[[Megachilidae]] *[[Meganomiidae]] *[[Melittidae]] *[[Stenotritidae]] }} The [[superfamily (biology)|superfamily]] '''Apoidea''' is a major group within the [[Hymenoptera]], which includes two traditionally-recognized lineages, the "[[sphecidae|sphecoid]]" [[wasp]]s, and the [[bee]]s, who appear to be their descendants. == Nomenclature == Bees appear in recent classifications to be a specialized lineage of [[Crabronidae|crabronid]] wasps that switched to the use of [[pollen]] and [[nectar]] as [[larva]]l food, rather than [[insect]] prey; this presumably makes Crabronidae a [[paraphyletic]] group. Accordingly, bees and sphecoids are now all grouped together in a single superfamily, and the older available name is "Apoidea" rather than "[[Sphecoidea]]" (which, like [[Spheciformes]], has been used in the past, but also defined a [[paraphyletic]] group and has been abandoned). As the bees themselves (not including their wasp ancestors) are still considered a [[monophyletic]] group, it is still convenient to use a grouping between superfamily and family to unify all bees. A few recent classifications have addressed this problem by lumping all bee families together into a single large family [[Apidae]]{{Fact|date=February 2007}}, though this has not met with widespread acceptance. The alternative classification in more common use is to unite all bees under the name [[Bee|Anthophila]] (Engel, 2005), which is equivalent to the obsolete name [[Apiformes]] (which meant ''bee-like forms'' in [[Latin]]). ==External links== * [http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Apoidea All Living Things] Images, identification guides, and maps of Apoidea. * [http://www.earthlife.net/insects/solbees.html Solitary Bees]Popular introduction to the Hymenoptera Apoidea. * [http://www.bombus.it/pdf/fiori_e_api/fiori_e_api.pdf Fiori e Api d'Albore and Intoppa]Flower visiting bees in Europe pdf. In Italian but excellent table with Latin names. ==References== *[[Michael S. Engel|Engel, M.S.]] (2005). Family-group names for bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). ''American Museum Novitates'' 3476: 1-33. *{{cite book|author=[[David Grimaldi|Grimaldi, D.]] and [[Michael S. Engel|Engel, M.S.]] |title=Evolution of the Insects|year=[[2005]]|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|id=ISBN 0-521-82149-5}} *[[Charles D. Michener|Michener, C.D.]] (2000). ''The Bees of the World''. Johns Hopkins University Press. [[Category:Wasps]] [[Category:Apoidea]] [[Category:Hymenoptera]] [[Category:Pollinators]] [[ast:Abeya]] [[cy:Gwenynen]] [[de:Apoidea]] [[es:Apoidea]] [[fr:Apoidea]] [[he:דבורים]] [[it:Apoidea]] [[lt:Bitiniai]] [[nl:Apoidea]] [[no:Apoidea]] [[pl:Apoidea]] [[pt:abelha]] [[sv:Bin]]