How to Spell Honey Bee

Honey bee may seem to be spelled as two words (honey bee), one word (honeybee), or a hyphenated word (honey-bee). The use of two words for honey bee follows the recommendations of the Committee on Common Names of Insects of the Entomological Society of America. This latter organization has 9000 members and publishes the leading entomological journals in the country. The logic of the committee is that if a common name is used in a way that is systematically correct, then it should be spelled as two   words. Since the honey bee is a true bee, two words are used. Bumble bees, sweat bees, leafcutter bees and alkali bees are all true bees and are spelled as two words. Some other correct spellings for insects under this rule are: house fly, face fly, lady beetle, dung beetle, weevil, and gypsy moth. Dragonflies and butterflies are not true flies, their names are one word.