Willow Mining Bee
Encyclopedia
Andrena salicifloris, commonly known as the willow mining bee, is a bee
in the genus Andrena
. The bee ranges from Colorado
to California
and north to British Columbia
, and often inhabits arid and alpine lands. The bee is often black or dark brown, and is sparsely coated with grayish hair on the thorax, legs and on the abdomen. The pollen basket
is on most of the hind leg. The wings of the Willow Mining Bee are smokey, and their veins are black.
As in the case of most bees, adult willow mining bees drink nectar, whereas willow mining bee larva
e feed both on nectar and pollen
. The nests of the willow mining bees are created when a mated female bee excavates a small tunnell that branch off into small branches. These branches each contain a brood cell, and once each cell has pollen and nectar for the larva to feed on - a small doorway to the brood cell is closed. The larva grows rapidly, but the bees do not emerge until spring.
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
in the genus Andrena
Andrena
Andrena is the largest genus in the family Andrenidae, and is nearly worldwide in distribution, with the notable exceptions of Oceania and South America. With over 1,300 species, it is one of the largest of all bee genera...
. The bee ranges from Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and north to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and often inhabits arid and alpine lands. The bee is often black or dark brown, and is sparsely coated with grayish hair on the thorax, legs and on the abdomen. The pollen basket
Pollen basket
The pollen basket or corbicula is part of the tibia on the hind legs of the four related lineages of apid bees that used to comprise the family Apidae: the honey bees, bumblebees, stingless bees, and orchid bees...
is on most of the hind leg. The wings of the Willow Mining Bee are smokey, and their veins are black.
As in the case of most bees, adult willow mining bees drink nectar, whereas willow mining bee larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed both on nectar and pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
. The nests of the willow mining bees are created when a mated female bee excavates a small tunnell that branch off into small branches. These branches each contain a brood cell, and once each cell has pollen and nectar for the larva to feed on - a small doorway to the brood cell is closed. The larva grows rapidly, but the bees do not emerge until spring.