hymenopter, hymenopteran, hymenopteron, hymenopterous insect - insects having two pairs of membranous wings and an ovipositor specialized for stinging or piercing

Apoidea, superfamily Apoidea - bees

drone - stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen

Apis mellifera, honeybee - social bee often domesticated for the honey it produces

carpenter bee - large solitary bee that lays eggs in tunnels bored into wood or plant stems

bumblebee, humblebee - robust hairy social bee of temperate regions

cuckoo-bumblebee - a bee that is parasitic in the nests of bumblebees

andrena, andrenid, mining bee - a bee that is a member of the genus Andrena

alkali bee, Nomia melanderi - a common solitary bee important for pollinating alfalfa in the western United States

leaf-cutter, leaf-cutter bee, leaf-cutting bee - bee that cuts rounded pieces from leaves and flowers to line its nest

mason bee - any of numerous solitary bees that build nests of hardened mud and sand

potter bee - solitary bee that builds nests of mud or pebbles cemented together and attached to a plant

quilting bee - a gathering to make quilts

cornhusking, husking bee - a social gathering for the purpose of husking corn

social affair, social gathering - a gathering for the purpose of promoting fellowship