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

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

Apple Orchard Photos taken by Mark Schlueter

 

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