Spring-pollinator
Guides
Andrena aliciae
Yellow-faced Miner Bee
Andrena aliciae, known as the Yellow-faced Miner Bee, is a solitary mining bee species in the family Andrenidae. It is native to North America and belongs to a large genus of ground-nesting bees that are important spring pollinators. Like other Andrena species, it excavates tunnels in soil to create nests provisioned with pollen for its larvae.
Andrena distans
Distant Miner Bee, Cranesbill Miner
Andrena distans is a solitary mining bee in the family Andrenidae. It is native to North America, with records from Vermont and broader North American distribution. The species is commonly associated with Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) flowers, which has earned it the common name 'Cranesbill Miner.' As a ground-nesting solitary bee, it excavates tunnels in soil to provision with pollen and nectar for its larvae.
Andrena lativentris
Andrena lativentris is a species of mining bee (family Andrenidae) described by Timberlake in 1951. It belongs to a large genus of solitary, ground-nesting bees that are important spring pollinators. As with other Andrena species, it likely excavates tunnels in soil to create nests provisioned with pollen for its larvae. The specific epithet 'lativentris' refers to a broad abdomen, a morphological trait that may aid in identification.
Andrena rufosignata
red-faced miner bee, Brown-fovea Miner
Andrena rufosignata is a solitary mining bee in the family Andrenidae, described by Cockerell in 1902. It is known from North America, with confirmed records from Vermont. Like other Andrena species, it is a ground-nesting bee that excavates tunnels in soil to provision with pollen and lay eggs. As a member of the large Andrena genus, it contributes to spring pollination of wildflowers.
Andrena vicina
Neighbouring miner bee, Neighborly Mining Bee
Andrena vicina is a solitary mining bee species in the family Andrenidae, commonly known as the neighbourly miner or neighborly mining bee. It is native to North America and exhibits the typical ground-nesting behavior of the genus Andrena, excavating tunnels in soil to provision brood cells with pollen and nectar. Like other Andrena species, it is an important spring pollinator, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in published literature.
Anthrax irroratus
Spotted Bee Fly
Anthrax irroratus is a bee fly (family Bombyliidae) widespread across North America, ranging from Alaska and northern Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Adults are pollinators that frequent flowers, while larvae are parasitoids of solitary bees and wasps in at least five families. The species is one of numerous bee flies that exploit ground-nesting Hymenoptera as hosts.
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compactus
polyester bee, plasterer bee, cellophane bee
Colletes compactus is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Colletidae, native to North America. Like other members of its genus, it constructs subterranean burrows lined with a distinctive cellophane-like secretion produced by the Dufour's gland, earning the common name "polyester bee" or "plasterer bee." The species nests in aggregations in sandy soils, with females provisioning individual brood cells with a semi-liquid mixture of pollen and nectar. Males emerge before females and actively patrol nesting areas seeking mates.
Colletes simulans armatus
Eastern Spine-shouldered Cellophane Bee
Colletes simulans armatus is a subspecies of polyester bee in the family Colletidae, commonly known as the Eastern Spine-shouldered Cellophane Bee. Like other members of the genus, females construct solitary underground nests lined with a cellophane-like secretion from the Dufour's gland. The subspecies occurs in eastern North America and is active in spring. Males emerge before females and engage in competitive mating behavior at nesting aggregations.
Osmia pumila
Osmia pumila is a solitary mason bee native to eastern North America. It is strongly associated with forest habitats, where it performs spring pollination of wildflowers and possibly some timber trees. The species nests in pre-existing cavities such as hollow stems or holes in wood, sealing brood chambers with mud. Research indicates it is one of the most common forest-associated bee species in the eastern United States, with populations increasing as forest cover has regrown since the early 1900s.