Communal-nesting
Guides
Agapostemon
Striped Sweat Bees, Metallic Green Sweat Bees
Agapostemon is a genus of sweat bees (Halictidae) comprising approximately 42 species distributed across the Western Hemisphere from Canada to Argentina. Most species exhibit metallic green or blue coloration, particularly on the head and thorax. Unlike many other sweat bees in the family, Agapostemon species are not attracted to human sweat. The genus includes both solitary and communal species, with all species nesting in the ground. Some species, such as A. virescens, form communal aggregations where multiple females share a common nest entrance while maintaining separate brood cells.
Ageniellini
Mud-nesting Spider Wasps
Ageniellini is a cosmopolitan tribe of spider wasps (subfamily Pepsinae) comprising 17 genera. Members are commonly known as mud-nesting spider wasps due to their frequent construction of thimble-shaped mud nests, often communally. The tribe exhibits exceptional behavioral diversity, with three distinct nesting strategies: mud nest construction, dry soil excavation, and kleptoparasitic nest usurpation. These strategies have evolved independently multiple times from nest-constructing ancestors. Like all Pompilidae, females provision nests with paralyzed spiders as larval food, with most Ageniellini species characteristically removing spider legs before transport.
Andrena accepta
Two-spotted Miner Bee
Andrena accepta is a mining bee species in the family Andrenidae, commonly known as the Two-spotted Miner Bee. It is found in Central America and North America. The species constructs communal nests containing multiple cells and inhabits desert scrub habitat. Its primary host plants for pollen collection belong to the genus Helianthus (sunflowers).
Nomia tetrazonata
four-banded nomia, four-banded nomium
Nomia tetrazonata is a ground-nesting sweat bee in the family Halictidae, commonly known as the four-banded nomia. The species exhibits communal nesting behavior, with multiple females sharing a common nest entrance while independently constructing and provisioning individual cells within the same burrow system. Males patrol nesting sites and perform stereotyped courtship displays involving leg movements and antennae contact. The species occurs in North and Central America.
Protandrena
mining bees
Protandrena is a genus of solitary mining bees in the family Andrenidae, containing 50–180 described species depending on taxonomic circumscription. Most species nest underground in sunny areas with sparse vegetation, constructing cells lined with a protective chemical 'wallpaper' that inhibits fungal and bacterial growth. The genus exhibits diverse social structures, with most species solitary but some forming nest aggregations and at least one species (P. evansi) exhibiting communal nesting. Activity is primarily from May to October in temperate regions, with some southern populations active earlier.
Spilomena
Spilomena is a genus of solitary wasps in the family Crabronidae (subfamily Pemphredonidae). The genus contains approximately 86 species distributed worldwide, with highest diversity in the Palearctic realm. Species are known as aphid wasps or thrips-hunting wasps, with documented prey including Psyllidae, Eulophidae, and Thysanoptera. One Australian species, S. subterranea, is known to nest communally in sandy soil.