Species Inventory

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The one thousand bee species in France, are divided into six families* depending on tongue length, nesting habits, or flower preference.
However certain families are so diverse that some members have little in common with other bees in the same family.
Please join this guided tour of the universe of wild european bees.
* Michener 2007:  The bees of the the World ; 992 pages, Johns Hopkins Univ. Press. Baltimore, M 

Other pictures about nature

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These sand bees nest in the ground.  They collect pollen on their back legs with the help of flocculi (brushes at the base of the back legs).  [ 8 genera in Europe ]

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Apidae is one of the most diversified families in the world having the most species than any other family. [ 26 genera in Europe ]

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They have bifid tongues.  Pollen is collected from one or several plant species (compositae, umbelliferae, ivy...)  Nest in the ground.  The cell walls are covered by a transparent membrane. [ 2 genera in Europe ]
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Solitary to sub-social species.  Females have a bare groove at the end of the abdomen.  The males are thinner and have long antennae.  Nest in the ground. [ 10 genera in Europe ]

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These long-tongued bees collect pollen with the help of their ventral brush. [ 25 genera in Europe ]

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These bees are often specialised in the collection of pollen of certain species of plants.  Nest in the ground. [ 3 genera in Europe ]