Andrena brevipalpis

Cockerell, 1930

Short-palped Miner, short-tongued miner bee

Andrena brevipalpis is a solitary mining bee in the Andrenidae, described by Cockerell in 1930. It is native to North America, with confirmed records from Vermont and broader North American distribution. The species is an oligolectic , collecting pollen exclusively from Rhus (sumac) flowers. Like other Andrena species, it nests in the ground and is active during spring.

Andrena brevipalpis, M, face, Caroline County by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Andrena robertsonii, f, face, Baltimore Co, MD 2016-04-15-19.18 (26696642371) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Andrena robertsonii, f, side, Baltimore Co, MD 2016-04-15-19.31 (26696644011) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Andrena brevipalpis: /ænˈdriːnə ˌbrɛvɪˈpælpɪs/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Habitat

Ground-nesting requiring bare or sparsely vegetated soil for nest excavation. Associated with supporting its plant Rhus (sumac).

Distribution

North America; confirmed present in Vermont, United States. Broader range across North America based on distribution records.

Seasonality

Spring-active, consistent with other Andrena and its association with spring-blooming Rhus flowers.

Diet

Oligolectic pollen on Rhus (sumac) flowers. likely consume nectar from these and potentially other flowers.

Host Associations

Rhus - pollen sourceoligolectic pollen

Life Cycle

Solitary with ground-nesting : females excavate tunnels, provision with pollen and nectar, lay , and larvae develop underground. Males typically emerge before females.

Behavior

Females dig individual nest burrows in soil. Males patrol nesting areas seeking mates. As an oligolectic , females exhibit flower constancy to Rhus during pollen collection.

Ecological Role

of Rhus (sumac) flowers. Contributes to spring pollination services in forest and woodland edge where sumac occurs.

More Details

Taxonomic note

The specific epithet brevipalpis translates to 'short-palped', referring to reduced mouthpart palps. The alternative 'short-tongued miner ' appears in some sources but 'Short-palped Miner' is the preferred common name.

Conservation data

Only 22 observations recorded in iNaturalist as of source date, suggesting it may be infrequently encountered or under-recorded, possibly due to its specialized plant association and spring .