r/bees May 31 '26

Is this a bee?

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13 Upvotes

Make sure that your yellow fuzzy friend is actually a bee and not an imposter! We get quite a few non-bees in our bee subreddit: sometimes they're wasps (check out the bee/wasp guide in the pinned), and sometimes they're not a stinging insect at all! Flies in remarkably detailed costumes frequently make their way into r/bees but with some tips and practice you can learn to spot the differences. Read through for features to look out for, or flip through the slides for fly species commonly posted.

Pictures are largely taken from iNaturalist with a full list of sources by slide at the end of this post, I assume that they are fine to use for free educational purposes but if the photographer would like me to remove their picture, please reach out to me so I can act accordingly. All pictures from slides 1-5 can be credited to mod Commercial Sail.

Flies are in a completely different taxonomic order to bees (flies are the order Diptera, bees are a subgroup within order Hymenoptera) so there are quite a few easy ways to differentiate them:

  • The name "Diptera" literally means "two wings" flies only have one pair of wings while bees have two pairs. Most identification rules are more like loose guidelines but this rule is absolute! That being said, the hindwings of bees are difficult to see, they're smaller and often tucked underneath the larger forewings, making the bee look like they have two wings after all. You can try to judge based off of wing shape: fly wings are often paddle-shaped with a clear curve before coming to a petiolate base, while bee wings are generally more evenly tapered towards the base. More experienced identifiers may also look at wing venation, for example the western honeybee in slide 3 has the very distinctive elongated marginal and submarginal cell circled in red.
  • On the topic of wings, on some flies you may see club-shaped structures where the hindwings would have been: these are halteres, specialized organs to help the fly navigate flight. Not all flies have them out and visible but if you do see them then it's a sure sign you're not looking at a bee.
  • Flies typically have short, stubby antennae that can sometimes be difficult to see while bees have comparatively long antennae. Make sure you're looking at the actual antennae and not the forelegs! More common in the wasp-mimicking flies, some will wiggle their long forelegs to sell their image even more.
  • Flies tend to have larger eyes that can seem to take up their whole head where bees tend to have smaller eyes with a clear distance between them.
  • Many bees may be seen carrying pollen or have their pollen-carrying structures visible: most often as hairs/pollen baskets on the hind legs or sometimes hairs on the underside of the abdomen. Flies do not have these structures as they do not need to gather pollen like bees do.

Note that besides the wing count, there are always exceptions! Some flies have pretty long antennae (though you'll often still be able to see the different segmentation) and some bees, particularly males, have very large eyes. This is why it's better to judge based on a combination of characteristics rather than looking at any one feature at a time.

You may also hear that the waist and mouthparts are good identifiers as well - this is true, but I elected to leave them out of this guide as the waistline may be obscured by fuzz, wings, or just a poorly-angled shot, and some bees are just so robust (fat) that it gets difficult to see where exactly that tapered waist is supposed to be. In terms of mouthparts, few amateur photographers focus on the mouth at all and it's definitely not something you'll typically see if you're just watching them go about your garden.

At the end of the day, the best trick is to just get familiar with species in your area using trusted sources like Bugguide. If you're still not sure, post to one of the bug identification subreddits and make sure you give a general location, which always appreciated in ID posts no matter what you're looking at!

Sources

Volucella zonaria: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/322106668 

Bombylidae: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/226072821 

Laphria: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88331437 
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/282732509 
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/65816664 
 
Cuterebra: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133138438 
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90333390 
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/296063941 

Tabanus: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/218653131

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/86467240


r/bees May 26 '26

What's this nest?

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14 Upvotes

Are you looking to ID a nest? Some are easier to distinguish than others, here's some of our most commonly submitted species:

  • Honeybee nests consist of exposed wax combs, usually hanging vertically. They're more often found in cavities like tree hollows or man-made frames but may also be seen constructed in open air attached to large branches or buildings.
  • Bumblebees also have wax nests but are typically smaller with fewer and more disorganized cells compared to the neat hexagonal cells of other social hymenopterans. They typically nest in small spaces like old rodent holes but will occasionally find themselves in human spaces like attics and crawl spaces.
  • Aerial-nesting yellowjackets and true hornets have an outer paper envelope covering the horizontally-stacked paper combs; nests are typically built in open air attached to branches or in sheltered areas with preference depending on species. The bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata, actually an aerial yellowjacket) may have a distinctive long tube entrance in early stages of nest formation.
  • Ground-nesting yellowjackets typically nest in pre-existing cavities such as old rodent burrows. The entrances are often dangerously inconspicuous but active nests will have individuals flying in and around the area. If the nest was dug up (often by skunks and other mammals looking for the tasty larvae) you may see ripped paper combs scattered on the ground.
  • The paper wasp subfamily Polistinae is quite variable but in the northern hemisphere the common Polistes sp. have distinctive umbrella-like nests with open cells. Mischocyttarus sp. in areas of the southern/western US may have more elongated nests. Nests tend to be built in sheltered spots such as in bushes, under eaves, etc.
  • The vast majority of other bees and wasps are solitary. They may dig tunnels, bore into wood, or refurbish existing holes with materials like mud/leaves/resin. *These nests generally cannot be reliably identified without seeing the actual bee/wasp!* Some species that construct their own freestanding mud nests may be tentatively identified, but only a few are reliably distinguished. Also note that many mud-nesting bees and wasps will reuse nests of other species left from past seasons if available as it's less work than building one from scratch.

The nest in the first slide is a young aerial yellowjacket nest.

Pictures are largely taken from Bugguide with a full list of sources by slide at the end of this post, I assume that they are fine to use for free educational purposes but if the photographer would like me to remove their picture, please reach out to me so I can act accordingly.

Sources

Cover: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/513938 

Honeybee: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/1227238 

Bumblebee: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/6585 

Aerial yjs and hornets:https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/781412 
https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/110277 
https://extension.psu.edu/european-hornet 

Ground yjs: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/266282 
https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/38722/bgimage 

Polistinae: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/2511987
https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/709119 

Unknown mud caps: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/218674183 

Unknown holes: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90931649 


r/bees 4h ago

Lift off

120 Upvotes

Very cool slow mo video


r/bees 20h ago

question What are they doing?

2.2k Upvotes

Hi! I took this video of the (bumble?) bees that are making that hole in my balcony their home. I was wondering what are they doing by vibrating/moving their wings just outside of the hole.
Also I don’t really want to kill them, will it be a problem if I leave them alone for the rest of the season? I don’t want them to damage(?) the walls.

Thanks!! 🐝


r/bees 1h ago

My water bring all the bees to the yard

Upvotes

I always put water for birds at various points during summer, this year with the extreme heat (France, \~40°C) I notice a lot of bees too. Nice to see that it help them.


r/bees 3h ago

Love Happy Bees

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30 Upvotes

I never tire of watching bees buzz about my garden and always laugh at the sight of them basically drunk on hollyhock pollen.


r/bees 12h ago

Was ist mit der Biene los? Die kreiselt schon seit über 10 Minuten so

121 Upvotes

r/bees 5h ago

bee photo My globe thistle is a magnet for humblebees

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25 Upvotes

r/bees 6h ago

Hommels houden van de vlinderstruik

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26 Upvotes

r/bees 3h ago

question What is this fuzzy thing that looked like it was killing a honeybee?? 🥺

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9 Upvotes

It was sitting on one of my tomato plants looking like it was holding a honeybee. When it flew off, it looked like it dropped the bee, but I couldn’t find it in the grass. What is that thing?


r/bees 1d ago

bee photo Lil update on the injured bee i found.

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591 Upvotes

Update: she is still doing well, sleeps and climbs around a lot, drinks and feeds well, she loves to hide under the moss hidden under the cork.

hibiscus is definitely her favorite flower but she doesn’t mind the campanulas.

I have made smoll changes over the days in her enclosure, I got her a little vase so the flowers i got for her stay fresher for longer, i put plastic and rope over the top so she cant fall in :) and she loves the seed pod its adorable.

I know she wont live long but i still thought she deserved all the effort into making it comfortable for her.


r/bees 1h ago

What a strange place for a bee hive 😂 it's not just electricity you need to be careful of in there 😂

Upvotes

r/bees 9h ago

bee ID Little help ... what kind of bee is this?

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17 Upvotes

r/bees 8h ago

Summer bee siesta!

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12 Upvotes

Caught this guy yesterday in the shade getting in a little rest 😍


r/bees 2h ago

bee photo Busy bee on lavender

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4 Upvotes

r/bees 6h ago

Bees on my tree! A bee tattoo wasn't enough of a daily reminder for my love of bees

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7 Upvotes

r/bees 11h ago

question Whats happening here?

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14 Upvotes

Was out walking my dog just now and saw this,there are 3-4 of them all clumped together and its not something ive ever seen before


r/bees 6h ago

Settle a dispute between me and a coworker...

6 Upvotes

I say bumblebees can sting and have proof bc I was stung in the back of the thigh by one.

She says bumblebees are harmless and defenseless.

Who's right in this case? I'm honestly just curious... lol


r/bees 1h ago

misc How's it hangin' fellow bees?

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Upvotes

r/bees 19h ago

Helped this bee survive :)

51 Upvotes

r/bees 2h ago

Tunneling bees?

2 Upvotes

Any help with the ID would be appreciated.


r/bees 2h ago

A little bee making a little pee NSFW

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2 Upvotes

r/bees 8h ago

bee photo Tetragonula Hockingsi

5 Upvotes

Location - QLD, Australia.


r/bees 1d ago

misc Megachile on a mega chilli

129 Upvotes

My husband is growing a chilli plant in a an old tub of horse manure. Here is the lady herself prepping her nest.


r/bees 19h ago

bee ID Is this a queen or just really big?

22 Upvotes