The Origins of 7 Bee Pokemon & the Real Insects Behind Them

Most bee Pokemon are not quite bees. Ribombee is a bee fly, an insect known to be a brood parasite, and Naganadel is a dragon with a wasp's abdomen. Beedrill may be a Japanese honey bee or an Asian giant hornet.

See all 7 bee Pokemon in one list.

Here are the origins of the 7 bee Pokemon:

All 7 Bee Pokemon

#015

Beedrill

Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokemon, is based on a bee or wasp, possibly the Japanese honey bee, Asian giant hornet or yellowjacket. Its pointed arms resemble spears, while Mega Beedrill, its Mega Evolution (a stronger battle-only form), swaps them for lances. Its parallels to Butterfree may be a reference to the phrase "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", coined by the boxer Muhammad Ali.

It has three poisonous stingers on its forelegs and its tail, used to jab its enemy repeatedly. We find one wasp at a picnic plenty. Its Swarm ability makes its Bug moves deal 1.5× damage once its HP drops to a third or less. An ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle.

#415

Combee

Combee, the Tiny Bee Pokemon, is based on honeycombs and honey bees.

Combee swear fealty to a queen Pokemon and work diligently to gather nectar, and each swarm produces a different flavor of honey. (We would pay too much for it.) It stands 0.3 m tall. Its Honey Gather ability means it may pick up honey after battle.

#416

Vespiquen

Vespiquen, the Beehive Pokemon, grows from a female Combee. Conceptually it seems to be a cross between a queen bee and a queen wasp, perhaps a honey wasp, while also drawing on beehives, umbrella paper wasp nests and real-world queens. The red gem on its forehead may serve as jewelry for its royal status.

It commands its subjects to build its hive, and it will dispatch any interlopers who dare sneak into its nest and use them as nourishment for itself. We have hosted parties that needed this. Vespiquen is always female, as befits a queen. Its Pressure ability makes the opponent's moves cost one extra PP (the number of times a move can be used).

#742

Cutiefly

Cutiefly, the Bee Fly Pokemon, is based on the bee fly, specifically the species Anastoechus nitidulus. It may also be inspired by the fairyfly or a fairy, which fits its Fairy type.

An opponent's aura can tell Cutiefly what that opponent's next move will be, and Cutiefly can then glide around the attack and strike back. We have never managed to read the room like that. It stands 0.1 m tall and weighs 0.2 kg. Its Shield Dust ability protects it against the extra effects of incoming moves.

#743

Ribombee

Ribombee also is based on a bee fly, an insect known to be a brood parasite. It may also be based on fairies and sprites, and its pollen puffs may draw on fairy dust, the magical dust fairies were thought to use. Its brown fur appears to be a scarf. It may also come from changelings, fey creatures that mimic children and replace them in kidnapping fairy tales, which is close to how a brood parasite works.

Ribombee absolutely hate getting wet or rained on, so in the cloudy Galar region they are very seldom seen. (We see the appeal of avoiding a whole country over rain.) It stands 0.2 m tall.

#803

Poipole

Poipole, the Poison Pin Pokemon, is based on a bee larva. Like its evolution, its needle-like appendages resemble the plunger of a syringe, with its head as the barrel and its venom as the liquid inside.

It is an Ultra Beast that lives in a different world, and it cackles wildly as it sprays its opponents with poison from the needles on its head. We would prefer never to meet one. It stands 0.6 m tall and weighs 1.8 kg.

#804

Naganadel

Naganadel, the Poison Pin Pokemon, may be based on a Western dragon or wyvern, but its abdomen resembles that of a wasp. Specifically, it could be based on the tarantula hawk or the Ichneumonidae family of wasps, and its Shiny coloring may reference wasps such as the yellowjacket. Its needle-like appendages resemble the needle of a syringe, with the abdomen as the barrel and the venom as the liquid inside.

It is one kind of Ultra Beast (creatures that come from another world), and it fires a glowing, venomous liquid from its needles that is also immensely adhesive. We cannot even get the tape to stick. It stands 3.6 m tall and weighs 150 kg. Its Beast Boost ability raises its highest stat one stage each time it knocks out a Pokemon.

Only One Combee in Eight Is Female, and Only Females Become Vespiquen

Combee swear fealty to a queen Pokemon, and only female Combee can evolve into the Vespiquen that commands its subjects to build its hive. Only one Combee in eight is female, so most of a swarm can never become a queen. Vespiquen is always female, and its design mixes a queen bee and a queen wasp with real-world queens.