Andrena fulva

Tawny Mining Bee

Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, is one of the earlier solitary bees to appear in spring. The female is honeybee sized with a deep orange top to the thorax and abdomen. Males are smaller and generally more numerous. They feed on a range of spring flowers, females appearing to show a preference for Ribes species such as Gooseberry. Females may nest in groups, but with individual nests.


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Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, female
Female on Blackcurrant
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Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, female
Female on Blackcurrant
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Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, female
Female
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Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, male
Male on Dandelion
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Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, male
Male on Dandelion
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Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, male
Male on Gooseberry

Photograph detail


Slide 1: Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, female. Foraging on cultivated Blackcurrant flowers, Ribes spp. Garden in Redmire. April.


Slide 2: Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, female. Foraging on cultivated Blackcurrant flowers, Ribes spp. Garden in Redmire. April.


Slide 3: Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, female. Resting on wild Gooseberry leaf, Ribes uva-crispa. Church Lane, Redmire. April.


Slide 4: Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, male. Foraging on Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. Church Lane, Redmire. April.


Slide 5: Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, male. Foraging on Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. Church Lane, Redmire. April.


Slide 6: Andrena fulva, Tawny Mining Bee, male. Resting on wild Gooseberry, Ribes uva-crispa. Church Lane, Redmire. April.