Ground nesting red bees - Colletes thoracicus

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Cellophane, Plasterer, Masked, and Allied Bees (Colletidae) » Cellophane bees (Colletes) » Rufous-backed Cellophane Bee (Colletes thoracicus)

Photo#1226057

Copyright © 2016 Kurt R. Schwarz

Ground nesting red bees - Colletes thoracicus

Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland, USA
May 20, 2016
Size: 1 inch

These seem colonial, there were easily several dozen burrows with surrounding dike within a small area perhaps 5-6 feet across. Many were busily buzzing about, occasionally landing to enter the burrows. The area is mature forest on river bottomland, within the flood plain.

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Ground nesting red bees - Colletes thoracicus

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Contributed by Kurt R. Schwarz on 20 May, 2016 - 6:25pm
Last updated 21 May, 2016 - 11:15pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… John S. Ascher, 21 May, 2016 - 11:15pm

Female - Mining Bee

This looks like a female, maybe something close to Dunning's Andrena, Andrena dunningi, but I'm not sure. Let's see what the experts say.

… Bob Biagi, 21 May, 2016 - 5:26pm

Colletes thoracicus

note wing venation

… John S. Ascher, 21 May, 2016 - 11:15pm

The wings are hard to read on this one.

I can see (now) that the abdominal stripes don't match the one that I was confusing her with. Thanks!
OK, the third sub-marginal cell's apical cross-vein is more "S" shaped on this gal and "C" shaped on the other ones. Also, the second sub-marginal cell is wider and less squared than most Andrena. I will try to remember this.

… Bob Biagi, 21 May, 2016 - 11:38pm

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