Apidae is the largest family within the superfamily Apoidea, containing at least 5700 species of bees.

[3] Although the most visible members of Apidae are social, the vast majority of apid bees are solitary, including a number of kleptoparasitic species.

The trend to move groups down in taxonomic rank has been taken further by a 2005 Brazilian classification that places all existing bee families together under the name "Apidae",[5] but it has not been widely accepted in the literature since that time.

The bees of most tribes placed in Apinae are solitary with nests that are simple burrows in the soil.

These are sometimes believed to have each developed this trait independently, and show notable differences in such characteristics as communication between workers and methods of nest construction.