Thursday, April 9, 2015

Mining bee ID?


This little bee was clinging to the washing when we brought it in from the washing line yesterday evening.

 At first I thought it was the tawny mining bee Andrena fulva, but it seems that has black hairs in its face, not the white ones that this has. 

 James McMillan @orchid_b kindly identified it for me as a red mason bee Osmia rufa.











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13 comments:

  1. ADRIANApril 9, 2015 at 5:20 PM

    Great shots. It would have flown away had I got that close.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PhilApril 12, 2015 at 7:53 AM

      Sun had gone down and it was cold, which slowed it down a bit!

      Delete
  2. Midmarsh JohnApril 10, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    Brilliant clear close shots.

    ReplyDelete
  3. BeespeakerApril 12, 2015 at 4:14 AM

    Could it be a colour variation within species or sex? I'm seeing lots of similar bees identified as Andrena fulva males on bee ID sites. (BWARS, etc.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PhilApril 12, 2015 at 7:55 AM

      I find this small early solitary bees very confusing to ID!

      Delete
  4. BeespeakerApril 12, 2015 at 4:15 AM

    Oops, sorry, I see it has been ID'ed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 12, 2015 at 11:23 AM

    A few years ago, my partner's conservatory was filled with those little bees then they all seemed to die, poor things.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PhilApril 22, 2015 at 7:09 AM

      They have a short flying season - tend to disappear by early summer

      Delete
  6. Miss KateApril 15, 2015 at 4:05 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PhilApril 16, 2015 at 7:03 AM

      This isn't the first time this has happened, Kate - this little digger wasp came in with the washing too http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/washday-wasp.html

      Delete
  7. Miss KateApril 20, 2015 at 1:09 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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