Bee
Bees (Anthophila) form a clade of hymenopteraninsects in the Apoidea superfamily. There are at least 20,000 species of bee on the planet, including around 2,000 in Europe and almost 1,000 in France. In Europe, the best-known species is Apis mellifera which, like most honey bees, belongs to the Apis genus. However, the majority of bees do not produce honey; they feed on flower nectar. A winter bee can live for up to 10 months, while a summer bee can live for up to a month.
Bees can be classified according to their lifestyle : domestic or wild bees, solitary or social bees, etc. They are clearly distinct from wasps in terms of their morphology and behaviour, particularly their diet. Bumblebees, on the other hand, are a special group of bees.
Bees and other pollinating species are currently under serious threat, with extinction rates " 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal ", according to the UN. On World Bees Day, 20 May 2019, the UN detailed the main causes of pollinator decline : pesticide use, monoculture, intensive agricultural practices, climate change, land-use change and habitat destruction.()
