List of UK Bee Species

Following on from our article on Bee's in Britain, below is a list of the bee species recorded in Great Britain (including England, Scotland, and Wales).

The British bee fauna currently contains 270+ species, consisting of 1 honeybee, ~24 bumblebees, and over 240 solitary bees.

To keep the list readable, species are organised taxonomically by family and genus, which is the standard approach used by British entomological surveys.

We also have further articles on Bee's at the bottom of the page.

Complete List of British Bee Species

Family: Colletidae

Genus: Colletes (Plasterer Bees)

• Colletes cunicularius

• Colletes daviesanus

• Colletes floralis

• Colletes fodiens

• Colletes halophilus

• Colletes hederae

• Colletes marginatus

• Colletes similis

Genus: Hylaeus (Masked Bees)

• Hylaeus annularis

• Hylaeus brevicornis

• Hylaeus communis

• Hylaeus confusus

• Hylaeus cornutus

• Hylaeus dilatatus

• Hylaeus gredleri

• Hylaeus hyalinatus

• Hylaeus leptocephalus

• Hylaeus paulus

• Hylaeus pictipes

• Hylaeus punctatus

• Hylaeus rinki

• Hylaeus signatus

• Hylaeus styriacus

Family: Andrenidae

Genus: Andrena (Mining Bees – largest UK genus)

• Andrena agilissima

• Andrena albicans

• Andrena alfkenella

• Andrena apicata

• Andrena argentata

• Andrena barbilabris

• Andrena bicolor

• Andrena bimaculata

• Andrena bucephala

• Andrena chrysosceles

• Andrena cineraria

• Andrena clarkella

• Andrena coitana

• Andrena combinata

• Andrena congruens

• Andrena denticulata

• Andrena dorsata

• Andrena falsifica

• Andrena flavipes

• Andrena fulva

• Andrena fulvago

• Andrena fuscipes

• Andrena haemorrhoa

• Andrena hattorfiana

• Andrena helvola

• Andrena humilis

• Andrena labiata

• Andrena lapponica

• Andrena marginata

• Andrena minutula

• Andrena nitida

• Andrena nigroaenea

• Andrena pilipes

• Andrena praecox

• Andrena proxima

• Andrena scotica

• Andrena semilaevis

• Andrena subopaca

• Andrena tarsata

• Andrena thoracica

• Andrena tibialis

• Andrena varians

• Andrena wilkella

Genus: Panurgus

• Panurgus banksianus

• Panurgus calcaratus

Family: Halictidae (Furrow Bees)

Genus: Halictus

• Halictus confusus

• Halictus rubicundus

• Halictus sexcinctus

• Halictus simplex

• Halictus smaragdulus

• Halictus tumulorum

Genus: Lasioglossum

(large genus with many small species)

Examples include:

• Lasioglossum albipes

• Lasioglossum calceatum

• Lasioglossum fulvicorne

• Lasioglossum lativentre

• Lasioglossum leucopus

• Lasioglossum malachurum

• Lasioglossum morio

• Lasioglossum pauxillum

• Lasioglossum punctatissimum

• Lasioglossum quadrinotatulum

• Lasioglossum villosulum

Genus: Sphecodes (Blood Bees – parasitic)

• Sphecodes albilabris

• Sphecodes crassus

• Sphecodes ephippius

• Sphecodes ferruginatus

• Sphecodes geoffrellus

• Sphecodes gibbus

• Sphecodes hyalinatus

• Sphecodes longulus

• Sphecodes monilicornis

• Sphecodes pellucidus

• Sphecodes puncticeps

• Sphecodes reticulatus

• Sphecodes ruficrus

Family: Melittidae

Genus: Dasypoda

• Dasypoda hirtipes

Genus: Macropis

• Macropis europaea

Genus: Melitta

• Melitta haemorrhoidalis

• Melitta leporina

• Melitta nigricans

• Melitta tricincta

Family: Megachilidae

Genus: Osmia (Mason Bees)

• Osmia aurulenta

• Osmia bicornis

• Osmia bicolor

• Osmia caerulescens

• Osmia leaiana

• Osmia niveata

• Osmia parietina

Genus: Megachile (Leafcutter Bees)

• Megachile centuncularis

• Megachile circumcincta

• Megachile ligniseca

• Megachile maritima

• Megachile versicolor

• Megachile willughbiella

Genus: Anthidium

• Anthidium manicatum

Genus: Chelostoma

• Chelostoma campanularum

• Chelostoma florisomne

Genus: Heriades

• Heriades truncorum

Genus: Coelioxys (Cuckoo Leafcutter Bees)

• Coelioxys afra

• Coelioxys elongata

• Coelioxys mandibularis

• Coelioxys quadridentata

Family: Apidae

Honeybee

• Apis mellifera

Bumblebees (Bombus)

• Bombus barbutellus

• Bombus bohemicus

• Bombus campestris

• Bombus cryptarum

• Bombus distinguendus

• Bombus hortorum

• Bombus hypnorum

• Bombus jonellus

• Bombus lapidarius

• Bombus lucorum

• Bombus magnus

• Bombus monticola

• Bombus muscorum

• Bombus pascuorum

• Bombus pratorum

• Bombus ruderarius

• Bombus ruderatus

• Bombus rupestris

• Bombus soroeensis

• Bombus subterraneus

• Bombus sylvarum

• Bombus terrestris

• Bombus vestalis

Other Apidae Genera

Anthophora

• Anthophora plumipes

• Anthophora retusa

• Anthophora furcata

Ceratina

• Ceratina cyanea

Epeolus

• Epeolus cruciger

• Epeolus variegatus

Melecta

• Melecta albifrons

Nomada (largest cuckoo bee genus – many species)

Examples include:

• Nomada alboguttata

• Nomada bifasciata

• Nomada fabriciana

• Nomada flavoguttata

• Nomada goodeniana

• Nomada lathburiana

• Nomada marshamella

• Nomada panzeri

• Nomada ruficornis

• Nomada succincta

• Nomada zonata

Read more about the bee species in Britain

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