Bees (Apoidea superfamily) are flying insects, closely
related to wasps and ants. They are adapted for feeding
on nectar, and play an important role in pollinating flowering
plants, and are called pollinators. Bees have a long proboscis
that they use in order to obtain the nectar from flowers.
Bees have antennae made up of thirteen segments in males
and twelve in females. They have two pairs of wings, the
back pair being the smaller of the two. Bees are fuzzy
and carry an electrostatic charge, thus aiding in the
adherance of pollen. Bees periodically stop foraging and
groom themselves to pack the pollen into specialized pollen
baskets which are on the legs of honeybees and some other
species, and on the ventral abdomen on other species.
Some of this pollen is carried from flower to flower,
but the bulk of it is carried back to the nest to feed
brood. The apex of the female abdomens are modified into
a stinger.
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