Andrena carlini

Cockerell, 1901

Carlin's Mining Bee, Carlinville Miner Bee

Andrena carlini is a mining bee in the Andrenidae. It is strongly associated with forest in eastern North America, where it serves as an important of spring-blooming wildflowers and woody plants. The species has been documented as prey for crab spiders and is active primarily during spring.

Carlin's Mining Bee - Andrena carlini, Meadowood SRMA, Mason Neck, Virginia, April 12, 2022 (52477237503) by Judy Gallagher. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Andrena carlini by Sam Droege. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Bombus impatiens queen & Andrena carlini by Jacy Lucier. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Andrena carlini: //ænˈdɹiːnə kɑːrˈlaɪniː//

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

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Habitat

Strongly associated with forest . Research in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania identified this as one of more than three dozen clearly forest-associated species that rarely leave woodland environments. Observations indicate activity in forest understory and woodland edges, particularly where spring-blooming plants occur.

Distribution

North America, with documented presence in the eastern United States including Vermont and Missouri. Distribution records indicate presence across forested regions of the eastern U.S.

Seasonality

Spring-flying. Active during April and May, coinciding with spring wildflower bloom in temperate eastern forests. Museum specimen records and field studies confirm spring activity period.

Diet

Feeds on nectar and pollen of spring-blooming plants. Documented visiting flowers of Amelanchier arborea (downy serviceberry). Likely pollinates forest understory wildflowers and possibly woody plants such as maples, though specific pollen associations require further documentation.

Host Associations

Amelanchier arborea - pollen/nectar sourcemale observed as prey on flowers

Behavior

Solitary nesting inferred from characteristics, though specific nest details not available in provided sources. Males have been observed as prey for crab spiders (Mecaphesa sp.) while visiting flowers.

Ecological Role

Important spring in eastern North American forests. Contributes to pollination of spring-blooming wildflowers and potentially woody plants. Serves as prey for including crab spiders. Part of the forest that has shown increases with forest regrowth since the 1920s.

More Details

Conservation significance

trends of Andrena carlini and other forest-associated bees have been tracked through historical museum specimens from 1872 to 2011, showing increases as forests regrew following logging-era declines. This makes the an indicator of forest recovery.

Research importance

This was specifically highlighted in a 2022 Rutgers University study as one of the key examples of understudied forest-associated bees that perform much of the spring pollination work in eastern woodlands.