Bee, 1 inch long, loner, colored like a honey bee but not so fuzzy, antennas flare out and are long – see photos attached
November 9, 2009
Excellent site! Do you know what kind of bee this is?
Thanks
T. Keefe
Houston TX
Dear T.,
We are relatively certain that this is a Mining Bee in the genus Andrena. According to BugGuide: “Considering the large number of similar-looking species, identification to species level usually requires an expert. Andrena are more active than Apis at lower temperatures. For this and other reasons Andrena (and Osmia…) can be, on a per bee basis, superior pollinators in cold weather. Some species such as Andrena clarkella are exceptionally cold tolerant.” We will check with Eric Eaton to see if he agrees with our assessment.
Correction courtesy of Eric Eaton
LOL! You’re not “far off” at all, Daniel. The Texas bee is a male halictid bee in the genus Nomia. I recognize it by the beefy hind legs of the male bees in that genus. There are many species so I’m not sure which one this is. John Ascher at the American Museum of Natural History might be able to be more specific.
Eric
Thank you so much. The plant, a Shepherd’s Needle, attracts several kinds of bee, wasp, flies, butterflies. I have been using your site to identify them. It has been very helpful.
Take care,
T