THINK of a bee and you will probably imagine either a honey bee or a bumblebee. But in Buzz , Thor Hanson reminds us that the apian community is incredibly diverse, with most species solitary, without hives, queens and stings.

Hanson, a US conservationist, expertly explores the history and ecology of bees around the world, concentrating on North American species. He regularly returns to his favourite, the alkali bee, a solitary insect with shimmering stripes that nests …