Native-pollinator
Guides
Andrena frigida
Frigid Mining Bee, Cold Miner Bee, Frigid Miner
Andrena frigida is a solitary mining bee native to North America, first described by Frederick Smith in 1853. As a member of the family Andrenidae, it is a ground-nesting species that excavates tunnels in soil to provision with pollen and nectar for its larvae. The species epithet 'frigida' (Latin for 'cold') suggests association with cooler conditions or early-season activity, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
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.
Calliopsis hesperia
Calliopsis hesperia is a species of mining bee in the family Andrenidae, first described by Swenk and Cockerell in 1907. The species is native to North America and belongs to a genus of small, ground-nesting bees commonly found in sandy soils. Two subspecies are recognized: C. h. hesperia and C. h. equina. As a member of the Panurginae subfamily, this bee is part of a diverse group of solitary bees that are important native pollinators.
Carmenta bassiformis
Ironweed Clearwing Moth, Eupatorium Borer Moth
Carmenta bassiformis is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, first described by Francis Walker in 1856. It is native to the eastern and central United States, where adults are active from late spring through early autumn. The species is notable for its transparent wings and wasp-mimicking appearance, a common trait among sesiid moths. Larvae develop as root borers in specific host plants.
Ceratina arizonensis
Arizona Small Carpenter, Arizona Ceratina
Ceratina arizonensis is a small carpenter bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cockerell in 1898. It is one of numerous Ceratina species native to North and Central America. Like other small carpenter bees, it is a solitary bee that nests in pithy stems rather than excavating wood like its larger relatives in Xylocopa. The species has been documented as a pollinator of multiple flowering plant species in field studies.
Ceratina dupla
doubled ceratina
Ceratina dupla is a small carpenter bee in the family Apidae. It occurs in the eastern half of North America and parts of Central America. The species was formerly confused with Ceratina floridana and Ceratina mikmaqi until molecular analyses revealed significant genetic differences. It is a solitary bee that nests in the pith of dead twigs and has been documented visiting multiple flower species in prairie habitats.
Colletes aberrans
Aberrant Cellophane Bee
Colletes aberrans is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Colletidae, commonly known as the Aberrant Cellophane Bee. It is found in North America. Like other members of the genus Colletes, it constructs subterranean burrows lined with a cellophane-like secretion produced by abdominal glands.
Colletes bryanti
Colletes bryanti is a solitary bee species in the family Colletidae, commonly known as polyester bees or plasterer bees. Like other members of its genus, it is native to North America. The species was described by Timberlake in 1951. Specific ecological details for this species are not well documented in available sources.
Colletes fulgidus longiplumosus
Long-plumed Cellophane Bee
Colletes fulgidus longiplumosus is a subspecies of plasterer bee in the family Colletidae. Plasterer bees are solitary ground-nesting bees that line their burrows with a cellophane-like secretion from an abdominal gland. As a member of the genus Colletes, this subspecies shares the characteristic vernal activity pattern and ground-nesting biology typical of the group. The subspecific epithet 'longiplumosus' refers to notably long plumose (feathery) hairs, likely a distinguishing feature from the nominate subspecies.
Colletes howardi
Colletes howardi is a species of solitary bee in the family Colletidae, commonly known as plasterer bees. It is found in North America. As a member of the genus Colletes, it likely shares the characteristic behavior of lining underground brood chambers with a glandular secretion that dries into a cellophane-like, waterproof coating.
Colletes hyalinus gaudialis
polyester bee, plasterer bee, cellophane bee
Colletes hyalinus gaudialis is a subspecies of polyester bee in the family Colletidae. Like other members of its genus, females construct solitary underground nests lined with a cellophane-like secretion from the Dufour's gland. This waterproof coating protects the semi-liquid pollen and nectar provisions for developing larvae. The subspecies is found in North America and shares the general biology of other Colletes species.
Colletes kincaidii
Kincaid's Cellophane Bee, Kincaid's Polyester Bee
Colletes kincaidii, known as Kincaid's cellophane bee, is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Colletidae. Like other Colletes species, females construct individual burrows and line brood cells with a cellophane-like secretion from the Dufour's gland, creating waterproof chambers for larval development. The species has been documented as a host for the cleptoparasitic bee Epeolus compactus, which exploits its nests. It is found in North America, with confirmed records from Vermont.
Colletes latitarsis
broad-footed cellophane bee
Colletes latitarsis, known as the broad-footed cellophane bee, is a solitary bee species in the family Colletidae. Like other members of its genus, it is a ground-nesting bee that constructs burrows lined with a cellophane-like secretion. The species occurs in North America, with documented presence in the northeastern United States including Vermont. As a member of the Colletes genus, it shares the characteristic forked tongue and cellophane bee biology with related species.
Colletes ochraceus
Ochraceous Cellophane Bee, Ochraceous Plasterer Bee
Colletes ochraceus is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Colletidae, commonly known as the ochraceous cellophane bee or ochraceous plasterer bee. Native to North America, this species exhibits the characteristic cellophane bee behavior of lining underground brood cells with a waterproof, cellophane-like secretion from the Dufour's gland. Females construct individual burrows in sandy soils, provisioning them with a semi-liquid mixture of pollen and nectar for their larvae. The species is part of a diverse genus of early spring-emerging bees that serve as important native pollinators.
Colletes simulans
spine-shouldered cellophane bee
Colletes simulans, commonly known as the spine-shouldered cellophane bee, is a solitary bee species in the family Colletidae. It is found in North America and shares the characteristic behaviors of its genus: nesting in underground burrows lined with a cellophane-like secretion and provisioning cells with pollen and nectar for larval development. As with other Colletes species, it is among the early spring-emerging native pollinators.
Colletes slevini
Slevin's cellophane bee, Slevin's polyester bee
Colletes slevini, commonly known as Slevin's cellophane bee or Slevin's polyester bee, is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Colletidae. As a member of the genus Colletes, it shares the characteristic behavior of lining its underground brood cells with a cellophane-like secretion produced from the Dufour's gland. The species is found in North America, though specific details about its range and biology remain limited in published sources. Like other Colletes species, it is a native pollinator that emerges in spring.
Colletes susannae
Susanna's Cellophane Bee
Colletes susannae, known as Susanna's cellophane bee, is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Colletidae. Like other members of its genus, females construct burrows in sandy soil and line brood cells with a cellophane-like secretion from the Dufour's gland. The species is found in North America and belongs to a group commonly called plasterer bees or polyester bees due to their distinctive nest-lining behavior.
Colletes thoracicus
Rufous-backed Cellophane Bee, Rufous-chested Cellophane Bee
Colletes thoracicus, commonly known as the rufous-backed cellophane bee, is a solitary ground-nesting bee native to North America. It belongs to the family Colletidae, which are known as plasterer or cellophane bees due to their unique nesting behavior. Females construct individual burrows in sandy soils and line the interior chambers with a cellophane-like secretion produced by a gland in their abdomen, creating waterproof brood cells. This species emerges early in spring and is an important native pollinator of early-blooming plants.
Colletes ultravalidus
Sandhills Cellophane Bee
Colletes ultravalidus is a solitary bee species in the family Colletidae, described in 2016. As a member of the genus Colletes, it shares the characteristic behavior of lining underground brood cells with a cellophane-like secretion from the Dufour's gland. The species is known from the Sandhills region of North Carolina.
Colletes wilmattae
cellophane bee, polyester bee, plasterer bee
Colletes wilmattae is a solitary bee species in the family Colletidae, first described by Theodore Cockerell in 1904. Like other members of its genus, it is commonly known as a cellophane bee, polyester bee, or plasterer bee due to the distinctive cellophane-like lining females create in their underground brood cells. The species is native to North America, occurring in both the United States and Canada. As a solitary ground-nesting bee, it plays a role in early-season pollination.
Diadasia bituberculata
Bindweed Turret Bee, Bindweed Bee, Digger Bee, Chimney Bee
Diadasia bituberculata is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Apidae, commonly known as the bindweed turret bee. It is native to the western coast of North America, with its range extending from Oregon through California to Baja California, Mexico. The species is an obligate specialist pollinator of bindweed (morning glory), foraging almost exclusively on plants in the genus Convolvulus. Females construct distinctive soil turrets at nest entrances in flat, bare ground, provisioning underground cells with pollen for their offspring.
Dianthidium pudicum
Modest Pebble Bee
Dianthidium pudicum, commonly known as the Modest Pebble Bee, is a species of resin bee in the family Megachilidae. It is native to North America and belongs to a genus characterized by nesting in pre-existing cavities and using resin to construct and seal nest cells. Like other Dianthidium species, it is a solitary bee that provisions its nests with pollen and nectar for its offspring. The species has been documented in bee block monitoring studies, indicating its use of artificial nesting structures in urban and suburban environments.
Halictus ligatus
Ligated Furrow Bee, sweat bee
Halictus ligatus is a primitively eusocial sweat bee native to North and Central America. It nests in ground burrows or rotting wood, forming colonies with reproductive division of labor between queens and workers. The species exhibits remarkable behavioral plasticity: northern populations have annual colony cycles with distinct worker and reproductive broods, while subtropical populations show continuous brooding and reduced social hierarchy. Queens establish dominance through aggression and pheromonal suppression of worker reproduction. The species is polylectic, collecting pollen from diverse flowering plants, and serves as an important native pollinator.
Hoplitis producta
Produced Small-Mason
Hoplitis producta is a solitary bee species in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the Produced Small-Mason. It is native to North America east of the Rocky Mountains and is considered common and widely distributed in this range. The species is notable for its nesting biology, having been documented using pith-filled plant stems for nest construction.
Lithurgopsis gibbosa
Southeastern Woodborer, Gibbous Woodborer Bee
Lithurgopsis gibbosa is a large, robust solitary bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the Southeastern Woodborer or Gibbous Woodborer Bee. It is one of the largest native bees in eastern North America and is notable for its distinctive humped thorax and wood-boring nesting behavior. The species occurs primarily in the southeastern United States, where females excavate nest tunnels in dead wood and provision cells with pollen and nectar.
Megachile perihirta
Western Leafcutter Bee, Western leafcutting bee
Megachile perihirta, commonly known as the Western Leafcutter Bee, is a solitary bee native to western North America. It is an important pollinator of alfalfa and other crops, recognized by its distinctive leaf-cutting behavior where females cut circular pieces from leaves to line nest cells. The species nests in pre-existing cavities in soil, sand, gravel, or rotting wood, and carries pollen on a scopa located on the underside of the abdomen rather than on the hind legs.
Megachile texana
Texas leafcutter bee
Megachile texana is a solitary leafcutter bee native to the United States and southern Canada. Females construct nests using cut leaf pieces to line brood chambers, typically in soil burrows under rocks or clods. The species was first described by Ezra Townsend Cresson in 1878. Like other Megachile species, females carry pollen on scopal hairs beneath the abdomen rather than on the hind legs.
Melissodes desponsus
Eastern Thistle Longhorn Bee
Melissodes desponsus is a solitary, ground-nesting longhorn bee native to northeastern North America. Females are oligolectic specialists on Cirsium thistles, collecting white pollen that often obscures their distinctive orange scopae. The species is active in mid-to-late summer and has been assessed as vulnerable or imperiled in several regional conservation evaluations, though it lacks a comprehensive rangewide status assessment.
Osmia integra
Osmia integra is a solitary mason bee species in the family Megachilidae, native to North America. It is distinguished by its nesting behavior in sand dune habitats, where it constructs shallow nests. The species was described by Cresson in 1878 and includes two recognized subspecies: O. i. integra and O. i. nigrigena. Like other Osmia species, it is a native pollinator, though specific ecological details remain understudied.
Osmia lignaria lignaria
Eastern Blue Orchard Bee
Osmia lignaria lignaria is the eastern subspecies of the blue orchard bee, a solitary mason bee native to North America. It is a managed pollinator prized for its efficiency in pollinating early spring-blooming fruit trees including almonds, apples, pears, and cherries. The bee nests in pre-existing cavities such as hollow stems and beetle holes, sealing nest entrances with mud. It has experienced population declines in the eastern United States, with research ongoing into competition with non-native Osmia species and vulnerability to pesticides and parasites.
Svastra atripes
long-horned bee
Svastra atripes is a species of long-horned bee in the family Apidae, native to North America. The species was originally described as Melissodes atripes by Cresson in 1872. It includes three recognized subspecies: S. a. atrimitra, S. a. atripes, and S. a. georgica. As a member of the tribe Eucerini, it belongs to a group of solitary, ground-nesting bees characterized by elongated antennae in males.
Svastra obliqua
sunflower bee
Svastra obliqua is a long-horned bee in the family Apidae, commonly known as the sunflower bee. It is native to Central America and North America, with three recognized subspecies. The species shows strong floral fidelity to sunflowers (Helianthus) and other members of the Asteraceae family, though it will collect pollen from various aster family plants. Males exhibit distinctive sleeping behavior, clustering on flowers or stems at night while females nest in underground burrows.
Trachusa perdita
California leafcutting bee, California Resin-Leafcutter
Trachusa perdita is a solitary leafcutting bee native to California, belonging to the family Megachilidae. Females construct underground nests in hillsides, lining brood cells with leaves collected from Buckthorn shrubs. The species is notable for its distinctive nesting behavior and specific host-plant relationship for nest construction materials.
Xylocopa virginica virginica
Virginia Carpenter Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica virginica is a large carpenter bee native to eastern North America. It is facultatively social, forming small colonies with linear dominance hierarchies where one female monopolizes both reproduction and foraging. Females excavate tunnels in wood to create brood galleries, provisioning cells with bee bread (pollen and nectar mixture). Males defend nest-side territories and mate in early spring, then die; females may live two years. The subspecies is distinguished by the nominate form's distribution and morphology.