Mistletoe Mining Bee vs Broad-footed Colletes

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mistletoe Mining Bee Broad-footed Colletes
Scientific Name Andrena nycthemera Colletes halophilus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Andrenidae Colletidae
Size 11-14 mm 9-12 mm
Habitat Woodlands Beaches & Coastal
Diet Fruit Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Central and Southern Europe Western Europe
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Mistletoe Mining Bee

A striking spring-flying mining bee with contrasting black and white body hair bands. It is associated with blackthorn hedgerows in European lowland habitats.

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Did You Know?

Its bold black-and-white striped appearance makes it one of the most visually distinctive mining bees in Europe.

Broad-footed Colletes

A rare coastal specialist plasterer bee that forages on sea aster in saltmarsh habitats. It is restricted to a narrow band of habitat along European coasts.

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Did You Know?

Rising sea levels and saltmarsh erosion directly threaten its nesting sites, making it one of the bees most vulnerable to climate change.