Digger-bee
Guides
Anthophora
Common Digger Bees, Digger Bees
Anthophora is a large genus of solitary bees in the family Apidae, comprising over 450 species across 14 subgenera. These bees are most diverse in the Holarctic and African biogeographic regions. All species are solitary, though many nest in large aggregations. Nearly all species excavate nests in soil, either in banks or flat ground, with larvae developing in waterproof-lined cells without cocoons. Some species, notably Anthophora bomboides, are bumble bee mimics and construct distinctive turret-like nest entrances.
Anthophora abrupta
Abrupt Digger Bee
Anthophora abrupta is a solitary digger bee in the family Apidae, native to North America. It is known for nesting gregariously, where females are attracted to existing nest sites through visual cues and pheromones. The species has been observed using root plates in forested habitats as nesting substrates. Females mate once, while males are capable of multiple matings.
Anthophora californica
California Digger Bee, California Anthophora
Anthophora californica is a solitary digger bee in the family Apidae, found in Central America and North America. The species was described by Cresson in 1869 and includes two recognized subspecies: A. c. albomarginata and A. c. californica. As a member of the genus Anthophora, it exhibits ground-nesting behavior typical of digger bees. The species is part of the diverse native bee fauna of western North America.
Anthophora capistrata
Anthophora capistrata is a solitary digger bee in the family Apidae, described by Cresson in 1879. It belongs to a genus of ground-nesting bees that excavate burrows in soil or sand. The species is recorded from Middle America and North America. Like other Anthophora species, it is likely a generalist forager on floral resources, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Anthophora crotchii
Anthophora crotchii is a species of digger bee in the family Apidae, first described by Ezra Townsend Cresson in 1879 and named after entomologist George Robert Crotch. It belongs to the genus Anthophora, a group of solitary, ground-nesting bees commonly known as digger bees. The species occurs in North America. Like other members of its genus, it is expected to be a solitary bee that excavates nests in soil, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in published literature.
Anthophora hololeuca
Anthophora hololeuca is a solitary digger bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cockerell in 1923. Like other members of the genus Anthophora, it is a ground-nesting bee that excavates burrows in soil or sand substrates. The species occurs in North America and Middle America, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented compared to better-studied congeners such as Anthophora bomboides.
Anthophora mortuaria
Anthophora mortuaria is a solitary digger bee in the family Apidae, described by Timberlake in 1937. As a member of the genus Anthophora, it shares characteristics with other digger bees that nest in soil or sandy substrates. The species is accepted in taxonomic databases but has minimal published biological information available. Its specific epithet "mortuaria" (Latin for "of the dead" or "funeral") suggests possible association with particular habitats or behaviors, though this has not been documented in accessible literature.
Anthophora pacifica
Pacific Digger Bee
Anthophora pacifica is a solitary, ground-nesting digger bee native to western North America. Females excavate burrows in soil to construct individual nests provisioned with pollen and nectar. The species serves as the primary host for the cleptoparasitic bee Melecta pacifica fulvida, which invades its nests to lay eggs. A. pacifica is part of the diverse Anthophora genus, which includes other notable digger bees such as the bumble bee-mimic A. bomboides stanfordiana.
Anthophora phaceliae
Anthophora phaceliae is a solitary digger bee in the family Apidae, described by Brooks in 1988. The species epithet "phaceliae" suggests a likely association with Phacelia flowers. Like other members of the genus Anthophora, it is presumed to nest in the ground. Available information is limited; the species has been recorded in Middle America and North America with minimal observational data.
Anthophora pueblo
Pueblo Sandstone-digger Bee
Anthophora pueblo is a solitary digger bee species in the family Apidae, described by Orr in 2016. The species belongs to a genus known for ground-nesting behavior, with many Anthophora species constructing nests in soil or sandstone substrates. The common name "Pueblo Sandstone-digger Bee" suggests an association with sandstone geological formations. As a member of the tribe Anthophorini, it shares characteristics with other digger bees that excavate burrows for brood rearing.
Anthophora ursina
Anthophora ursina is a solitary digger bee in the family Apidae, native to North America. As a member of the genus Anthophora, it is part of a group of ground-nesting bees commonly known as digger bees. The species was described by Cresson in 1869.
Anthophora villosula
Asian Shaggy Digger Bee
Anthophora villosula is a solitary digger bee native to Asia that was introduced to North America in 1988. The species has established populations in Maryland and is undergoing ongoing distribution expansion across the United States. As an exotic bee introduced for crop pollination, it has received limited research attention despite its potential ecological impacts on native bee and floral communities.
Anthophora walshii
Walsh's anthophora
Anthophora walshii is a species of anthophorine bee in the family Apidae. It is found in North America. Males and females exhibit sexual dimorphism in size, with males generally larger than females. Males can reach up to 16 mm in length with an abdomen breadth of 6 mm, while females grow to approximately 14 mm in length with an abdomen breadth of 5 mm. The species is part of the diverse Anthophora genus, which includes many digger bee species.
Brachymelecta interrupta
Interrupted Digger-cuckoo Bee
Brachymelecta interrupta is a species of digger-cuckoo bee in the family Apidae. It occurs in Central America and North America. As a cuckoo bee, it is presumed to be a nest parasite of other bees, though specific host relationships are not well documented. The species was originally described as Melecta interrupta by Cresson in 1872.
Centris pallida
Pallid Desert-Digger, digger bee, desert bee, pallid bee
Centris pallida is a solitary desert bee native to the Sonoran Desert region of North America. Males exhibit two distinct morphs associated with alternative reproductive tactics: large patrollers that use olfactory cues to locate buried virgin females near the ground, and small hoverers that use visual cues to find females above vegetation. The species has evolved remarkable thermal adaptations to survive extreme desert temperatures, including high thoracic conductance and dorsal solar reflectance in large-morph males. Long-term studies document a persistent decline in male body size since the 1970s, with potential consequences for the stability of alternative reproductive tactics.
Habropoda cineraria
Habropoda cineraria is a solitary digger bee in the family Apidae, native to western North America. Like other members of the genus Habropoda, it nests in sandy soils and exhibits specialized ecological relationships with nest parasites. The species has been documented in coastal and interior western habitats, though detailed biological studies specific to this species remain limited compared to better-known congeners such as H. miserabilis and H. pallida.
Habropoda depressa
Habropoda depressa is a species of anthophorine bee in the family Apidae. It is a solitary ground-nesting bee found in North America. Like other members of the genus Habropoda, it is a digger bee that excavates nests in soil. The species was described by Fowler in 1899.
Habropoda miserabilis
silver digger bee
Habropoda miserabilis, commonly known as the silver digger bee, is a solitary ground-nesting bee native to western North America. This species was historically abundant in coastal sand dune habitats but declined dramatically by the mid-20th century due to habitat loss from invasive plant encroachment. Recent habitat restoration efforts have enabled population recoveries at several sites. The species serves as a host for the parasitic blister beetle Meloe franciscanus, which has evolved sophisticated chemical mimicry to exploit the bee's mating system.