- Family: Apidae
- Approximate # species in region: 6
- Common name: digger bees
Anthophora are zippy bees with a fast, hovering flight. Five species occur in our region, four of which nest in bare ground and one which nests in rotting wood. Ground-nesting species often form big nesting aggregations along exposed banks, eroded cliffs, and bare slopes. Anthophora have long tongues and often prefer foraging on tubular flowers.
All Anthophora are chunky and hairy and superficially resemble bumble bees, but note the brushes of hair on their hind legs for carrying pollen and yellow integument on faces of males (the integument of bumble bees is all black, and female Bombus carry pollen in corbiculae). The most bumble bee-like Anthophora (A. abrupta and A. bomboides) might also be confused with Habropoda, but note that Habropoda begins flying earlier in the spring and is uncommon by summer. These Anthophora also differ from Habropoda in their exact color patterns (see species profiles).
Regional Species List:
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Phenology | Forage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthophora abrupta | Abrupt digger bee | May-Jul | Generalist; typically on tubular flowers (Penstemon, Pontederia, etc.) |
| Anthophora bomboides | Bumblebee-like digger bee | Jun-Aug | Generalist; typically on tubular flowers (Penstemon, Pontederia, etc.) |
| Anthophora terminalis | Orange-tipped wood-digger bee | May-Aug | Generalist; typically on tubular flowers (Penstemon, Pontederia, etc.) |
| Anthophora ursina | none | May-Jul | Generalist |
| Anthophora villosula | Asian shaggy digger bee | Mar-May | Generalist |
| Anthophora walshii | Walsh’s digger bee | Jun-Jul | Generalist; typically on Baptisia tinctoria |