I

ANNO 4 Numero 3
Rinaldo Nicoli Aldini [1]
The behaviour of presocial bees (Hymenoptera Apoidea)

[1]Istituto di Entomologia e Patologia vegetale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy.

Corresponding author: rinaldo.nicoli@unicatt.it

Apoidea is a large superfamily belonging to the order Hymenoptera consisting of bees which are particularly important as regards both basic and applied research. Bees have an especially diverse social organization ranging from the extremes of solitary to highly eusocial species. The present work aims to provide an updated review of this major aspect of their behaviour, including intraspecific interactions, the various forms or degrees of presociality, and to summarize other relevant aspects of the behaviour of presocial bees, mostly related to nesting, such as nest construction and nest provisioning.