Invertebrates
Ashy Mining Bee
Andrena cineraria
On a sunny bank in April, an ashy mining bee works the dandelions, its black body banded with two bright stripes of grey-white fur.
Overview
The ashy mining bee, Andrena cineraria, is a black, grey-banded solitary bee of heaths, quarries, gardens, and grassland with bare ground across much of Europe. Its ground nesting and cuckoo bee parasite make it a classic example of the life of a solitary bee.
A bee that needs bare soil
Mining bees need patches of bare or sparsely vegetated ground to dig their nests, which is why tidy lawns and covered soil can leave them with nowhere to live.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common.
Ashy Mining Bee: common questions
Why is it called the ashy mining bee?
It has a shiny black body with two broad bands of grey-white hair that look like ash.
Where does the ashy mining bee nest?
The female digs a vertical burrow in bare ground, short turf, or sandy banks, with side chambers for her eggs.
What is a cuckoo bee?
It is a bee that lays its eggs in the nests of other bees, and the ashy mining bee is parasitised by one called Lathbury's nomad bee.
When is the ashy mining bee active?
Adults fly from around April to June.