Identification: Identification: Halictus individuals are long and dark with bands of pale hair on the outer edge of each abdominal segment, making them appear striped. Many have a subtle metallic green sheen. The females carry pollen on the scopae located on their hind legs. Halictus are similar in look to Lasioglossum, but the abdominal hairs on Lasioglossum are at the base of each segment. Also, the veins on the outer edges of Lasioglossum wings fade away, and in Halictus they are thick and bold. Halictus can also be confused with Colletes, which have a distinct, heart-shaped face.
Foraging Habits: Generalists, and active for long seasons.
Nesting Habits: Halictus begin solitary and end eusocial. They nests in flat ground, and prefer sandy loams (soils with loose clay content and high silt content). They line their brood cells with a waxlike material from an organ near the top of the abdomen (Dufour’s gland). The daughters from the first generation remain in the nest and help care for the second generation. Some species of Halictus have small nests with a single queen and a few workers, whereas other have long-lived nests with multiple queens and hundreds of workers.
Identification: Andrena are black, dull metallic blue, or green and moderately hairy, with bands of pale hair on their abdomens. The females have large, velvety facial depressions (foveae) that look like eyebrows and large pollen-collecting hairs (scopae) on the upper part of their hind legs (in their “armpits”). They are similar in size and color to Colletes and Halictus, but these lack the stripes on the abdomen that Andrena has.
Foraging Habits: Both generalists and specialists. Andrena are the most common spring foragers, out collecting as early as February!
Nesting Habits: Andrena individuals are both solitary and communal. All Andrena nest in the ground, usually in sandy soil and near or under shrubs. Usually the entrance is marked by a small mound (tumulus) of soil. The female lines her brood cells with a material she secretes from a specialized gland, which soaks into the soil, then is dried and forms a polished and stable cell wall. Many species make nests in large aggregations of tens of thousands of bees, but within that the individual bees are solitary. Some species nest communally, where two or more females share a nest entrance but build and support their own brood cells.
(Mader et al. Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies. 2011. The Xerces Society.)
The Andrena slowly and precisely circumnavigates the flower head again and again in her search for pollen, digging her head down to reach pollen lower on the anthers. More videos of bees visiting Echinacea can be found on The Echinacea Project Youtube.
Identification: Melissodes individuals are robust and hairy, with especially hairy rear legs and bands of pale hair on their abdomens. The females carry pollen in the scopae. The lower front of the male faces are frequently yellow. Furthermore, males have characteristically long antennae.
Foraging Habits: Melissodes are associated with sunflowers, though many are aster or daisy specialists. The males will patrol around sunflowers during the day and sleep in the flower head in clusters. They fly from midsummer through fall and are active during the mornings and early afternoons.
Nesting Habits: All Melissodes nest in the ground. Most are solitary and will excavate nests in flat ground, but some dig horizontal burrows in exposed banks. A few species live communally, where several individuals share a nest entrance but work for their own brood.
(Mader et al. Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies. 2011. The Xerces Society.)
Note the difference in behavior between the male and female Melissodes. The female circles the flower meticulously, collecting the bright orange pollen. The male, who does not collect pollen, haphazardly searches through the flower head, perhaps searching for nectar. More videos of pollinators visiting Echinacea in the field available on the Echinacea Project Youtube.
Identification: Andrena are black, dull metallic blue, or green and moderately hairy, with bands of pale hair on their abdomens. The females have large, velvety facial depressions (foveae) that look like eyebrows and large pollen-collecting hairs (scopae) on the upper part of their hind legs (in their “armpits”). They are similar in size and color to Colletes and Halictus, but these lack the stripes on the abdomen that Andrena has.
Foraging Habits: Both generalists and specialists. Andrena are the most common spring foragers, out collecting as early as February!
Nesting Habits: Andrena individuals are both solitary and communal. All Andrena nest in the ground, usually in sandy soil and near or under shrubs. Usually the entrance is marked by a small mound (tumulus) of soil. The female lines her brood cells with a material she secretes from a specialized gland, which soaks into the soil, then is dried and forms a polished and stable cell wall. Many species make nests in large aggregations of tens of thousands of bees, but within that the individual bees are solitary. Some species nest communally, where two or more females share a nest entrance but build and support their own brood cells.
(Mader et al. Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies. 2011. The Xerces Society.)
The Andrena slowly and precisely circumnavigates the flower head again and again in her search for pollen, digging her head down to reach pollen lower on the anthers. More videos of bees visiting Echinacea can be found on The Echinacea Project Youtube.
Also known as “Leafcutter” or “Mason Bees”, Megachilids are easy to recognize because they don’t carry pollen on their legs, but rather use rows of stiff hairs on the underside of their abdomens. Megachilids also have wide heads to accommodate the strong jaws they use to cut leaves and gather nesting material. The majority of Megachilids nest in existing cavities above the ground and construct these nests by collecting leaves, petals, and wet soil used to line and divide the nest. Megachilids that commonly visit Echinacea are Coelioxys, Heriades, and Megachile. (Mader at al. 220)
Andrena, a member of the Andrenidae family, photographed by Gretel Kiefer
Also known as “Mining Bees”, Adrenids are the most diverse family of bees on the North American continent. Its members are particularly abundant in the spring and are among the first to emerge in the late winter. All Adrenids nest in the ground, generally in flat or gently sloping sites. Many form nesting aggregations that can reach tens of thousands of bees all living in the same small area. Within this, many are solitary, but some will form communal nests. Among the family Adrenidae, the most frequent visitors of Echinacea on our site in Minnesota are in the genus Andrena. (Mader et al. 219-220)
Melissodes, a member of the Apidae family, taking flight from Echinacea after collecting pollen.
The Apidae family is incredibly diverse and includes bumble, carpenter, honey, and long-horned bees. This diversity lends itself to a range of different nesting behaviors, from solitary to social, anywhere from in the ground to hollows in decaying wood. The most frequently seen native bees of this family visiting Echinacea are in the genera Ceratina and Melissodes. Less frequently seen are bees of the genera Bombus and Apis, as they are social bees and are therefore more attracted to plants that produce more abundant nectar than Echinacea. (Mader et al. 222-223)
