López-Uribe Lab

Andrenidae

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