Images

Andrena astragali, female, Badlands National Park, SD

Andrena banksi, female, covered in pollen

Andrena banksi, male

Andrena barbara, male

A female collected by Tracy Zarillo from the New Haven area

A female collected by Tracy Zarillo from the New Haven area

For some reason I really like the lighting on the face of this specimen... eerie, the bee contemplating the decline of its own kind, that sort of thing. But I depart...Here is Andrena bradleyi, the Long-faced Mining Bee, a vaccinium (blueberry) specialist. If you hang out around blueberries then you might find this bee...the flowering plants that is.

As its name implies, Andrena caerulae, is a bee with a deep blue shimmer to its skin. Unlike the plain black models of most of the other 500+ species of Andrena this species stands out, making identification a bit easier.

I love the form of this shot.

Tim McMahon hunted down this Ancyloscelis in Costa Rica. The long tongue on this relatively small bee is a thing. This group as a whole has an affinity for flowers with long carollas. In particular, the love morning glories. Which is interesting, because you don't really see morning glories in the seed mix for pollinator plots.

Andrena accepta, South Dakota, Badlands National Park

Andrena aliciae, female

Maine, Collected by Sara Bushman

Badlands national Park, South Dakota

Andrena anograe, female, Badlands National Park

Andrena anograe, female, South Dakota, Badlands National Park

Collected by Ellison Orcutt, in Caroline County Virginia this small spring Andrena is a fan girl of mustards, particularly the spring mustards that are native and occur in wooded and semi-shaded areas in the spring, often very early in the spring.

Another member of the difficult to identify Trachandrena subgenus of Andrena. I think that I have the females sorted out (more or less) but the males...oi! This specimen from Maryland. Picture by Amanda Robinson.

Another member of the difficult to identify Trachandrena subgenus of Andrena. I think that I have the females sorted out (more or less) but the males...oi! This specimen from Maryland. Picture by Amanda Robinson.

Andrena forbesii from Maryland, thanks to Ann Simpkins for photoshopping

An odd, dark Andrena bee of deep sandy areas that comes out in the middle of summer