280 days of Urbpandemonium #62

[urbpan]

This little miner bee, Andrena sp.*, was sunning herself on a leaf along the path. Miner bees are solitary (non-social, non-colonial) creatures that dig tunnels in places where plant life is least dense; pathways, playing fields, and other human-created habitats may be the most suitable in their range. Many unrelated females often dig burrows in the same area, each female depositing an egg, and a bolus of pollen for the hatchling to feed on. I'm fairly certain this was the type of bee I picked off a flower to show a class last year, earning a tiny sting on my finger.

* according to Bugguide, "From Greek anthrene (ανθρηνη) 'hornet/wasp'; related Greek words originally referred to any buzzing insect."