Prunus Miner Bee

Naming

* "Andrena prunorum" Cockerell
⤷  "Andrena prunorum sinaloa" Viereck
⤷  "Andrena prunorum vicina" Smith
⤷ "Andrena milwaukeensis"
⤷ "Andrena thaspii"
⤷ "Andrena schuhi"
⤷ "Andrena vicinoides"
⤷ "Andrena" sp". A"

Behavior

"A. prunorum" is a solitary bee species in which every female is fertile and inhabits a nest constructed by herself which differs from social bee species in the sense that there is no division of labor since there are no designated queen and worker bees for the species.

Typically small in size, they often can be mistaken for a fly if not observed closely. Solitary bees like "A. prunorum" tend to emerge in the spring when their host flowers are blooming. After mating, the females dig nests that begin with tunnels going straight into the ground for a few inches. From there, a side tunnel is dug which ends in a brood chamber about 1 cm wide and 2 cm tall. After coating the chamber with a waxy substance, the female bee begins to collect pollen and nectar which are made into a ball about 6–8 mm across. A single egg gets deposited, and the chamber gets sealed up and another brood chamber gets constructed with a single female capable of digging 8-10 chambers. The egg hatches, and the larva proceeds to consume the pollen ball. In the autumn the larva molts into an adult and spends the winter resting in its chamber. It emerges the following spring, and the cycle repeats.

Habitat

"A. prunorum" is commonly found in much of North and Central America. The Andrenidae family was found to be the second-most represented in British Columbia. This is compounded by the finding that about 70% of the solitary bee species in eastern Canada nest in the ground. However, these findings may be unreliable as "Andrena" is not readily identifiable, so the isolation of "A. prunorum" specifically has been a vexing challenge for researchers. They tend to inhabit grasslands containing vernal pools.

Reproduction

"Andrena prunorum" is a spring-flying, ground-nesting bee that serves as a ubiquitous generalist in ecological settings. Both males and females live as prepupae in the winter in which they mate, and the females seek new sites for ground burrows. From there, they construct small cells surrounding a ball of pollen combined with nectar to nourish a laid egg before each cell is sealed, and the cycle begins anew. "A. prunorum" generally prefer the pollen derived from Rosaceae plants but will pollinate fruit trees if given the opportunity.