The Bees of the World

In this extensive update of his definitive reference, Charles D. Michener reveals a diverse fauna that numbers more than 17,000 species and ranges from the common honeybee to rare bees that feed on the pollen of a single type of plant. With many new facts, reclassifications, and revisions, the second edition of The Bees of the World provides the most comprehensive treatment of the 1,200 genera and subgenera of the Apiformes. Included are hundreds of updated citations to work published since the appearance of the first edition and a new set of plates of fossil bees. The book begins with extensive introductory sections that include bee evolution, classification of the various bee families, the coevolution of bees and flowering plants, nesting behavior, differences between solitary and social bees, and the anatomy of these amazing insects. Drawing on modern studies and evidence from the fossil record, Michener reveals what the ancestral bee—the protobee—might have looked like. He also cites the major literature on bee biology and describes the need for further research on the systematics and natural history of bees, including their importance as pollinators of crops and natural vegetation. The greater part of the work consists of an unprecedented treatment of bee systematics, with keys for identification to the subgenus level. For each genus and subgenus, Michener includes a brief natural history describing geographical range, number of species, and noteworthy information pertaining to nesting or floral biology. The book is beautifully illustrated with more than 500 drawings and photographs that depict behavior, detailed morphology, and ecology. Accented with color plates of select bees, The Bees of the World will continue to be the world's best reference on these diverse insects.

Table of Contents:
Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Abbreviations 1. About Bees and This Book 2. What Are Bees? 3. The Importance of Bees 4. Development and Reproduction 5. Solitary versus Social Life 6. Floral Relationships of Bees 7. Nests and Food Storage 8. Parasitic amd Robber Bees 9. Body Form, Tagmata, and Sex Difference 10. Structures and Anatomical Terminology of Adults 11. Structures and Terminology of Immature Stages 12. Bees and Sphecoid Wasps as a Clase 13. Bees as a Monophyletic Group 14. The Origins of Bees from Wasps 15. Classification of the Bee-Sphecoid Clade 16. Bee Taxa and Categories 17. Methods of Classification 18. The History of Bee Classificatinos 19. Short-Tongued versus Long-Tongued Bees 20. Family-Level Phylogeny and the Proto-Bee 21. The Higher Classification of Bees 22. Fossil Bees 23. The Geological History of Bees 24. Diversity and Abundance 25. Disperal 26. Biogeography 27. Reduction or Loss of Structures 28. New and Modified Structures 29. Family-Group Names 30. Explanation of Taxonomic Accounts in Sections 36 to 121 31. Some Problematic Taxa 32. The Identification of Bees 33. Key to the Families, Based on Adults 34. Notes on Certain Couplets in the Key to Families (Section 33) 35. Practical Key to Family-Group Taxa, Based on Females 36. Family Stenotritidae 37. Family Colletidae 38. Subfamily Colletinae 39. Tribe Paracolletini 40. Tribe Colletini 41. Tribe Scraptrini 42. Subfamily Diphaglossinae 43. Tribe Caupolicanini 44. Tribe Diphaglossini 45. Tribe Dissoglottini 46. Subfamily Xeromelissinae 47. Subfamily Hylaeinae 48. Subfamily Euryglossinae 49. Family Andrenidae 50. Subfamily Alocandreninae 51. Subfamily Andreninae 52. Subfamily Panurginae 53. Tribe Protandrenini 54. Tribe Panurgini 55. Tribe Nolanomelissini 56. Tribe Melitturgini 57. Tribe Protomeliturgini 58. Tribe Perditini 59. Tribe Calliopsini 60. Subfamily Oxaeinae 61. Family Halictidae 62. Subfamily Rophitinae 63. Subfamily Nomiinae 64. Subfamily Nomioidinae 65. Subfamily Halictinae 66. Tribe Halictini 67. Tribe Augochlorini 68. Family Melittidae 69. Subfamily Dasypodainae 70. Tribe Dasypodaini 71. Tribe Promelittini 72. Tribe Sambini 73. Subfamily Meganomiinae 74. Subfamily Melittinae 75. Family Megachilidae 76. Subfamily Fideliinae 77. Tribe Pararhophitini 78. Tribe Fideliini 79. Subfamily Megachilinae 80. Tribe Lithurgini 81. Tribe Osmiini 82. Tribe Anthidiini 83. Tribe Dioxyini 84. Tribe Megachilini 85. Family Apidae 86. Subfamily Xylocopinae 87. Tribe Manueliini 88. Tribe Xylocopini 89. Tribe Ceratinini 90. Tribe Allodapini 91. Subfamily Nomadinae 92. Tribe Hexepeolini 93. Tribe Brachynomadini 94. Tribe Nomadini 95. Tribe Epeolini 96. Tribe Ammobatoidini 97. Tribe Biastini 98. Tribe Townsendiellini 99. Tribe Neolarrini 100. Tribe Ammobatini 101. Tribe Caenoprosopidini 102. Subfamily Apinae 103. Tribe Isepeolini 104. Tribe Osirini 105. Tribe Protepeolini 106. Tribe Exomalopsini 107. Tribe Ancylini 108. Tribe Tapinotaspidini 109. Tribe Tetrapediini 110. Tribe Ctenoplectrini 111. Tribe Emphorini 112. Tribe Eucerini 113. Tribe Anthophorini 114. Tribe Centridini 115. Tribe Rhathymini 116. Tribe Ericrocidini 117. Tribe Melectini 118. Tribe Euglossini 119. Tribe Bombini 120. Tribe Meliponini 121. Tribe Apini Literature Cited Addenda Index of Terms Index of Taxa

About the Author :
Charles D. Michener is curator emeritus, Entomology Division, University of Kansas Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, and professor emeritus, Entomology Program, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas. His books include The Social Behavior of Bees.

Review :
The author has produced a new definitive world taxonomic treatise on this large group of insects and is to be congratulated. —British Journal of Entomology and Natural History