Desert Globe Mallow Bee vs Blunthorn Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Desert Globe Mallow Bee Blunthorn Bee
Scientific Name Diadasia diminuta Melitta haemorrhoidalis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Melittidae
Size 8-12 mm 10-13 mm
Habitat Heathland Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Pollen Feeders
Regions North America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Desert Globe Mallow Bee

A specialist solitary bee that visits only globe mallow flowers in the American Southwest. It lines its underground nest cells with an oily secretion to waterproof them.

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Did You Know?

Its extreme flower loyalty makes it one of the most efficient pollinators of globe mallow plants.

Blunthorn Bee

A late-summer specialist bee that collects pollen almost exclusively from bellflowers. It has a distinctively short tongue for a melittid bee.

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Did You Know?

Females often become completely dusted in blue bellflower pollen, giving them a striking violet-tinged appearance.