• Family: Andrenidae
• Approximate # species in region: 13
• Common name: Bare Miner Bees

Protandrena are small to medium-sized dark panurgines, most of which have an affinity for various asters, goldenrods, and sunflowers. Species in this genus often mate on flowers, the males holding themselves in a comically stiff position with legs tucked in, seemingly to minimize inconvenience to their mate as she forages. Protandrena can become easily recognizable in the field with practice, but telling species apart is often tricky. Like other andrenids, Protandrena are ground-nesters, but little more is known about their ecology.

Many Protandrena could easily be overlooked in a sea of small bees visiting summer and fall composites. Note, however, that their combination of black integument and green, blue, or grayish eyes is not matched by most other little dark bees active at the same time of year. Furthermore, female Protandrena stick pollen on their hind legs in wet clumps, rather than leaving it dry (as Ceratina and Lasioglossum do). Male Protandrena have pale legs and faces – details of face patterns can be helpful in species ID. One Protandrena species in the northeast, the rare P. abdominalis (a specialist of Monarda punctata in xeric, fire-prone habitats), is quite different from the rest in phenology, host plant preference, and appearance, and is not readily mistaken for any other bee species in our regional fauna.

Regional Species List: