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Andrena wilkella

Andrena wilkella, with a brown, hairy thorax and a black abdomen with white stripes, laden with bright yellow pollen on its legs (scopae).

This image is created by user Dick Belgers at Waarneming.nl, a source of nature observations in the Netherlands., CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Appearance

Although it is not as large as bumblebees, which measure between 13 mm and 25 mm according to Gemini, it still measures between 10 mm and 12 mm. The male is always smaller than the female. They can be distinguished from other small bees by the downy hair between their eyes and the base of their antennae. They also have very long hairs called scopae, which help them collect pollen. They proudly display brown, black, and yellow coloring.

The life cycle of Andrena wilkella…

Although winter is generally the dormant season for insects, the Andrena wilkella, for its part, undergoes a complete transformation inside one of its underground cells, progressing from the egg stage to the larval stage, then to the nymph stage, and finally to the adult bee stage. When spring arrives and the ground warms up, it emerges from the nest as an adult bee, although some species may hatch a little later.

Reproduction and Nesting

Once bees have mated, they must search for a place where they can build tunnels to house their young in cells, inside which the bee will deposit food reserves so that the young can feed, grow, and survive. They then line their cells with a waterproof secretion that resembles silk or plastic (a biopolymer) to protect the larvae from moisture.

Housing, Socialization, and Nutrition

Andrena wilkella is not known for being social, although it sometimes associates with other groups of bees. In fact, it is a solitary bee found in Quebec. Nevertheless, it spends most of its time in its underground nest caring for its young. The nest is located in wetlands, meadows, along roadsides, or in alpine areas. When it’s time to eat, the young nymph consumes a mixture of nectar and pollen, as well as pollen from various plants. The adult bee, on the other hand, feeds on nectar from flowers and pollen from different plants. It is a rather selective nectar-gatherer, as it is oligolectic. This means that it feeds primarily on flowers from the Fabaceae family (such as clover, vetch, or bird’s-foot trefoil). However, it sometimes chooses only early-blooming flowers such as willow.

Predators

Wildlife poses just as much of a threat to Andrena wilkella as to its fellow species. There are all kinds of threats to the larvae, such as beetles, earwigs, ant larvae, and crab spiders. As adults, they also face fierce attacks from birds, rodents, praying mantises, and spiders. Consequently, the Andrena wilkella has a stinger for self-defense, but its venom is very weak, and it is extremely non-aggressive toward humans or large predators.

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Sources

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  • Appearance (10–12 mm):

    • BWARS (Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society): Confirms the size and presence of the "flocculus" (tuft of hairs) at the base of the hind legs, a key characteristic of the genus.

  • Diet (Oligolectic):

    • Cabi Digital Library / Westrich (1989): States that although it feeds on willows, it is primarily specialized (oligolectic) in the Fabaceae (clover, bird's-foot trefoil, vetch).

  • Nesting (Soils):

    • Atlas Hymenoptera: Documents its preference for sandy or clay soils, often found on slopes and in meadows.

  • Predators:

    • Journal of Hymenoptera Research: Mentions the cuckoo bee Nomada striata as its primary specific parasite (which lays eggs in its nest).

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