Mining Bees

Mining Bees (Genus Andrena)

Size: Small to Large (4-17 mm)   {Size Comparison – the average honeybee is 13 mm}

Color: Black bees with little to no hair, or black bees with very hairy thorax. Hair color ranges from white to yellow to light- brown, depending on the species.

Type of Flight: Slow to moderate

Andrena ziziaformis

Andrena ziziaformis

Distinguishing Characteristics:

(1) Females have two stripes of white –to-yellow hair (fovea) that run parallel to the inside edge of their eyes

(2) Males have very furry faces; many species have thick, white- to -yellow ” mustaches,” just above the mouth

(3) Pollen-basket (coribicula) are located on the sides of the thorax; pollen carrying hairs (scopa) are found on the first half of the hind legs (femur)

(4) Some species have thin, white stripes on their abdomen

Abundance in Georgia: Extremely common in Spring; Rare in Summer or Fall

Typically Found in Georgia: March to May

Pollination Value: Very High (Excellent pollinator of early blooming crops)

Plants Associated with: Flowering plants (Generalist – not specific to any type of plant)

Nesting Habitat: These bees nest in the ground. Most species are solitary; however, a few species are communal, forming communes (shared nests) with hundreds of individuals.

Classification: Family: Andrenidae       Genus: Andrena

Number of Species in Georgia: 89 species

Number of Species in the United States: 465 species

Photos taken by Sam Droege and staff at the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory (Used with permission)

–> Click on the photo to enlarge the image

Andrena crataegi - Side View

Andrena crataegi – Side View

Andrena crataegi - Face

Andrena crataegi – Face

Andrena crataegi - Dorsal View

Andrena crataegi – Dorsal View

Andrena barbara - Male Side View

Andrena barbara – Male Side View

Andrena barbara - Male Dorsal View

Andrena barbara – Male Dorsal View

Andrena barbara - Female Side View

Andrena barbara – Female Side View

Andrena barbara - Female Face

Andrena barbara – Female Face

Apple Orchard Photos taken by Mark Schlueter

 

Andrena crataegi at Nest Entrance

Andrena crataegi at Nest Entrance

Andrena crataegi

Andrena crataegi

Mining Bee on Apple Flower

Mining Bee on Apple Flower

Mining Bee (Geneus Andrena) nest entrance holes

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