Members of the family Andrenidae are commonly known as mining bees. One hundred (100) species of andrenid bees have been recorded in Pennsylvania [1]. Of these species, only one (Andrena wilkella) is not native to North America (indicated by an asterisk; *). Worldwide, this family has over 3,000 species described [2].

General identifying morphological characters include:

  • Two pairs of grooves on their face (a pair below each antenna) – some species only have one pair of grooves
  • Short tongue length 
  • Small to medium size 
  • Wide range of colors and patterns, but commonly brown or black

Nesting habitats

Bees in this family dig burrows and nest in the ground. They typically prefer nesting in areas with bare, sandy soil.

Sociality

All species in this family are solitary, but the females of some species may nest close together. When multiple nests are located in the same area, this is called an aggregation. 

Other behavioral or biological traits

Many species of andrenids are specialists; they only collect and feed on pollen from a limited number of plant species.

Species list

A checklist of andrenid bees recorded in Pennsylvania is presented below. For each species, we list the counties, date ranges, and the most recent years they have been collected or observed in the openly-accessible checklist [see 1]..

Genus Andrena — 91 species

Andrena (Andrena) carolina Viereck, 1909

Andrena (Andrena) clarkella (Kirby, 1802)

Andrena (Andrena) cornelli Viereck, 1907

Andrena (Andrena) frigida Smith, 1853

Andrena (Andrena) macoupinensis Robertson, 1900

Andrena (Andrena) mandibularis Robertson, 1892

Andrena (Andrena) milwaukeensis Graenicher, 1903

Andrena (Andrena) rufosignata Cockerell, 1902

Andrena (Andrena) thaspii Graenicher, 1903

Andrena (Andrena) tridens Robertson, 1902

Andrena (Archiandrena) banksi Malloch, 1917

Andrena (Archiandrena) dimorpha Mitchell, 1960

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) aliciae Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) gardineri Cockerell, 1906

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) helianthi Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) krigiana Robertson, 1901

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) rudbeckiae Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) asteris Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) asteroides Mitchell, 1960

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) placata Mitchell, 1960

Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) simplex Smith, 1853

Andrena (Cnemidandrena) chromotricha Cockerell, 1899

Andrena (Cnemidandrena) hirticincta Provancher, 1888

Andrena (Cnemidandrena) nubecula Smith, 1853

Andrena (Conandrena) bradleyi Viereck, 1907

Andrena (Derandrena) uvulariae Mitchell, 1960

Andrena (Derandrena) ziziaeformis Cockerell, 1908

Andrena (Euandrena) algida Smith, 1853

Andrena (Euandrena) geranii Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Euandrena) nigrihirta (Ashmead, 1890)

Andrena (Euandrena) phaceliae Mitchell, 1960

Andrena (Gonandrena) fragilis Smith, 1853

Andrena (Gonandrena) integra Smith, 1853

Andrena (Gonandrena) platyparia Robertson, 1895

Andrena (Holandrena) cressonii cressonii Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Iomelissa) violae Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Larandrena) miserabilis Cresson, 1872

Andrena (Leucandrena) barbilabris (Kirby, 1802)

Andrena (Leucandrena) erythronii Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Melandrena) barbara Bouseman & LaBerge, 1979

Andrena (Melandrena) carlini Cockerell, 1901

Andrena (Melandrena) commoda Smith, 1879

Andrena (Melandrena) confederata Viereck, 1917

Andrena (Melandrena) dunningi Cockerell, 1898

Andrena (Melandrena) hilaris Smith, 1853

Andrena (Melandrena) illini Bouseman & LaBerge, 1979

Andrena (Melandrena) nivalis Smith, 1853

Andrena (Melandrena) pruni Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Melandrena) regularis Malloch, 1917

Andrena (Melandrena) sayi Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Melandrena) vicina Smith, 1853

Andrena (Micrandrena) nigrae Robertson, 1905

Andrena (Micrandrena) salictaria Robertson, 1905

Andrena (Micrandrena) lamelliterga Ribble, 1968

Andrena (Micrandrena) melanochroa Cockerell, 1898

Andrena (Micrandrena) personata Robertson, 1897

Andrena (Micrandrena) ziziae Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Parandrena) nida Mitchell, 1960

Andrena (Plastandrena) crataegi Robertson, 1893

Andrena (Ptilandrena) distans Provancher, 1888

Andrena (Ptilandrena) erigeniae Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Rhacandrena) brevipalpis Cockerell, 1930

Andrena (Rhacandrena) robertsonii Dalla Torre, 1896

Andrena (Scaphandrena) arabis Robertson, 1897

Andrena (Scrapteropsis) alleghaniensis Viereck, 1907

Andrena (Scrapteropsis) daeckei Viereck, 1907

Andrena (Scrapteropsis) fenningeri Viereck, 1922

Andrena (Scrapteropsis) ilicis Mitchell, 1960

Andrena (Scrapteropsis) imitatrix Cresson, 1872

Andrena (Scrapteropsis) morrisonella Viereck, 1917

Andrena (Simandrena) nasonii Robertson, 1895

Andrena (Simandrena) wheeleri Graenicher, 1904

Andrena (Taeniandrena) wilkella (Kirby, 1802) *

Andrena (Thysandrena) bisalicis Viereck, 1908

Andrena (Thysandrena) w-scripta Viereck, 1904

Andrena (Trachandrena) ceanothi Viereck, 1917

Andrena (Trachandrena) forbesii Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Trachandrena) heraclei Robertson, 1897

Andrena (Trachandrena) hippotes Robertson, 1895

Andrena (Trachandrena) mariae Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Trachandrena) miranda Smith, 1879

Andrena (Trachandrena) nuda Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Trachandrena) rehni Viereck, 1907

Andrena (Trachandrena) rugosa Robertson, 1891

Andrena (Trachandrena) sigmundi Cockerell, 1902

Andrena (Trachandrena) spiraeana Robertson, 1895

Andrena (Trachandrena) virginiana Mitchell, 1960

Andrena (Tylandrena) erythrogaster (Ashmead, 1890)

Andrena (Tylandrena) perplexa Smith, 1853

Andrena (Tylandrena) wilmattae Cockerell, 1906

Andrena (Xiphandrena) mendica Mitchell, 1960

Genus Calliopsis — 1 species

Calliopsis (Calliopsis) andreniformis Smith, 1853

Genus Perdita — 2 species

Perdita (Perdita) halictoides Smith, 1853

Perdita (Perdita) octomaculata (Say, 1824)

Genus Protandrena — 6 species

Protandrena (Heterosarus) parvus (Robertson, 1892)

Protandrena (Heterosarus) pauper (Cresson, 1878)

Protandrena (Metapsaenythia) abdominalis (Cresson, 1878)

Protandrena (Pterosarus) aestivalis (Provancher, 1882)

Protandrena (Pterosarus) andrenoides (Smith, 1853)

Protandrena (Pterosarus) compositarum (Robertson, 1893)

Additional information about species in this family is available at:

References

  1. Kilpatrick SK, Gibbs J, Mikulas MM, Spichiger S-E, Ostiguy N, Biddinger DJ, López-Uribe MM (2020) An updated checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila) of Pennsylvania, United States of America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 77: 1–86. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.77.49622
  2. Ascher JS, Pickering J (2020) Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila). http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?guide=Apoidea_species

Photo Credit
USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab

How to Cite this Webpage
Kilpatrick SK, López-Uribe MM (2020) Andrenidae. http://lopezuribelab.com/andrenidae/

Updated 29 June 2020