This Digger Bee is approximately 1/2 inch in length. This is a very hairy bee with thick tan hair on the face and burnt-orange hair on the head and thorax. The abdomen is black with tan hair bands. The legs have buffy-colored hair. The females have very thick hair on the hind legs for collecting pollen. The wings are a clear brown. Males are slightly smaller than females, have yellow faces and usually have very long antennae. This bee was identified by a volunter expert at the BugGuide website.
The frequency of occurrence is not known. The individual shown here was photographed in late July at Camp Brewster in Fontenelle Forest.
All species of Digger Bees nest in the ground. Known nests are vertical burrows. There are 102 species of Digger Bees in North America. Many plants, such as sunflowers, depend on Melissodes bees for cross-pollination.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Loren Padelford.