Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria) - a photo on Flickriver

            Ashy Mining Bees are early-flying solitary bees on the wing from March through to June. The females are one of the UK's most distinctive solitary bees, with a black coat and two broad ash-coloured bands on their thorax. Males are smaller, with more extensive ashy hairs on their thorax and longer antennae.

Ashy Mining Bees are ground-nesting bees, typically nesting in short turf or bare ground. As suggested by the name, females dig into the ground to create their nest burrows. They excavate a considerable amount of material and have been reported to excavate tunnels up to a depth of 20cm. The excavated material builds up around the nest entrance and forms distinctive volcano-like mounds, which is a characteristic feature of mining bees.

Ashy Mining Bees appear in spring, with males emerging a couple of weeks before the females. Once mated, females build their nest burrows while males die soon after mating. Although they are solitary bees, females can be found nesting close together and can form very large nesting aggregations.

A nest burrow consists of cells, each with an egg provisioned with pollen and nectar. Once a cell is completed, it is lined and waterproofed with a waxy substance. Females continue to lay eggs until the end of their lifespan, which is typically no longer than a couple of months after emergence.

At the end of foraging trips and during disturbance such as rain, females close the entrance to their nests. However, when nests are left open and unoccupied they are vulnerable to intruders e.g. the ‘cuckoo bee’ (Nomada lathburiana). Cuckoo females enter unoccupied nests of Ashy Mining Bees and lay their own eggs within. The cuckoo’s larvae feeds upon the contents, including the egg or larvae of the Ashy Mining Bee.

The Ashy Mining Bee frequents a variety of habitats and can be found in urban settings such as parks, cemeteries and gardens. A great range of flowering plants are visited for nectar and pollen. Pollen is carried back to the nest on the female’s hind legs and often extensively covers the legs. Provisioned with pollen, the female’s offspring develop and overwinter within their cells. Emerging as adults in the following spring, the cycle starts again.

Taken in: UK / England / Ipswich District / Ipswich (show map)

Taken on: April 8, 2024

Tags:

Andrena cineraria

Ashy Mining Bee

Spring

April

Blossom

Park

Christchurch Park

Ipswich

Suffolk

England

Insect

Invertebrate

2024 « less

Sets appears in: • Bees

Groups appears in: • Wild Bees, Wasps and Ants of Europe (NO Honey Bees PLEASE) • British Insects & other Arthropods more » • British Photographers • British Bees, Wasps and Ants (Hymenoptera) • Suffolk Wildlife • CANON-NO LIMIT • BBC Springwatch (Official) • Butterflies, Moths and Insects UK • Wildlife In East Anglia • Camera Camaraderie • East of England Wildlife • East Anglia - Birds and wildlife • UK wild life watching • British Insects! • Christchurch Park • Bumblebee Conservation Trust • British Invertebrates • CREATURES IN THEIR HABITATS • * Wonderful World of Wildlife * • This is Nature • Worldwide Fauna • British Isles Flora and Fauna « less

Camera: Canon EOS 250D, f/4.0, 1/640 sec, 100mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 250D
Aperture:	f/4.0
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/640)
Focal Length:	100mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 10.0 Windows
Show full info

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