The Sunflower Bee is approximately .75 inch in length. The head and thorax have dense burnt-orange hair. The abdomen is black with white hairy bands. The hind legs have cream-colored hairs that are used for collecting and transporting pollen. The antennae are black, and males have longer antennae than females. These bees are also known as Long-horned Bees. The bees shown here were identified to species by John Asher, an expert volunteer at BugGuide. Along with other Svastra species, it favors sunflowers and is a desirable pollinator for sunflower growers.
This bee is common in Fontenelle Forest and can be seen in the parking lot at the nature center. There has been an active colony in the northeast island in the parking lot.
Photos D, E, F and G were taken in early July in one of the islands in the parking lot at the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center. There were many bees flying around low over the ground. A female was seen entering its nesting hole and then emerging a short time later. These are solitary nesters, meaning they do not live in hives with a queen and workers. Females lay their eggs in cells in the same nest burrow with other females. One egg is laid in each cell and is provisioned by the female with pollen and nectar for the developing larva. The larva goes through 4 instars and then spins a cocoon.
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.