This Digger Bee is approximately 5/8 inch in length. This is a very hairy bee with thick blond hair on the face and thorax. The abdomen is black with white and tan hair bands. The legs have thick blond hair. The wings are a clear brown. Males typically have very long antennae. This bee was identified by volunteer experts at the BugGuide website.
Melissodes sp. bees are considered to be common in this area. They are most often seen in late summer and early fall.
All species of Digger Bees nest in the ground. Known nests are vertical burrows. There 102 species of Digger Bees in North America. Many species of Aster are highly dependent on Melissodes 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.