BEE Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera (unranked): Unicalcarida Suborder: Apocrita Superfamily: Apoidea Clade : Anthop Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants , known for their role in pollination and in the case of the best-known bee species, the European honey bee , for producing honey and beeswax . Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea and are presently considered a clade , called Anthophila . There are nearly 20,000 known species of bees in seven recognized biological families . [1] [2] They are found on every continent except Antarctica , in every habitat on the planet tha...