Painted Mining Bee vs Spined Sweat Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Painted Mining Bee Spined Sweat Bee
Scientific Name Andrena fucata Agapostemon splendens
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Andrenidae Halictidae
Size 10-13 mm 9-12 mm
Habitat Woodlands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Painted Mining Bee

A handsome spring bee with a red-brown thorax and banded abdomen. It is common in woodland clearings and gardens across Europe.

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Did You Know?

It is a favourite host of the cuckoo bee Nomada flava, which lays eggs in its nest burrows.

Spined Sweat Bee

A brilliantly iridescent green sweat bee with bluish reflections found in the eastern United States. Both sexes are entirely metallic green, unlike many other Agapostemon species.

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Did You Know?

It strongly prefers nesting in moist or damp soil near water, unlike most other sweat bees that prefer drier substrates.