Mining Bee

glsammy · #1 (**permalink**) 02-05-2011, 09:32 PM

I think this one is Micrandrena sp. Can anyone confirm?

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2011, 10:30 PM

Evening Graham,

The genus Micrandrena has been merged with Andrena, affecting about 12 species of mostly small black ones.

Your bee I believe is Andrena cineraria, the Ashy Mining Bee. That was never a part of the Micrandrena group.

Take care,

Jason

JRsbugs · #3 (**permalink**) 02-05-2011, 10:30 PM

Andrena cineraria female

Janet

glsammy · #4 (**permalink**) 02-05-2011, 10:49 PM

Thank you both.

eucera · #5 (**permalink**) 03-05-2011, 06:24 PM

I'm not sure that Micrandrena was ever a generic name, but was always merely a sub-generic name, within Andrena.

Try as I might, I can find no more that 11 members of the sub-genus on the British list (and that includes Andrena proxima). 3 of these are known from just a few specimens. Of course, the subgenus is much larger when you cast the net wider - I have 43 species in my database