This Mining Bee is approximately .50 inch in length. The eyes are large and black. It has buff-colored hairs on the face and thorax. The abdomen is black and shiny with short, buff-colored hairs at the segments. The legs are large and hairy, especially the hind legs which have long hairs (pollen baskets) that collect pollen. The wings are clear brown. This bee was identified to genus by volunteer experts at the BugGuide website.
The frequency of occurrence is not known. This individual was photographed in early September along the Stream Trail in Fontenelle Forest. Most Andrena bees fly in spring.
This is a solitary bee that nests in burrows in the soil. The females waterproof the walls of the brood cells using a secretion from a gland in the abdomen. There are about 480 species in North America.
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: Babs Padelford.