Andrena praecox
(Scopoli, 1763)
Small Sallow Mining Bee
Female Andrena praecox
Andrena praecox, commonly known as the Small Sallow Mining Bee, is a species of solitary bee that is part of the Andrenidae (Mining Bee) family. This species is particularly notable for its early emergence, usually in March, often being one of the first bee species to appear in spring, hence the name "praecox," which means "early" or "premature" in Latin. Andrena praecox is predominantly found in central, northern and western Europe.
When I first got access to the estate in April of 2023, I drove to the first field available to me and hopped out of my car with my net. I had walked only about 20 metres and saw a few scattered dandelions in my path with some flying insect activity. When you’re doing this a while, you learn the jizz of certain bees and wasps. Their characteristic look and behaviour. Specimens that don’t exhibit this jizz often catch your brain’s attention quite quickly. And that is exactly what happened here. I saw a bee travelling from dandelion to dandelion and it looked different. A quick sweep of the net and I had recorded my first male Andrena praecox!
This bee is a ground-nesting bee, typically creating burrows in well-drained soils often in deciduous woodland. These nests are solitary, with each female bee constructing her own nest, unlike the communal nests seen in some other bee species. The nests usually consist of a main tunnel with several side cells where the bee lays her eggs.
The diet of larval Andrena praecox consists of pollen and nectar of willows (Salix spp.), which bloom early in the spring. This preference for early-blooming plants is synchronised with the bee's early emergence, as the female bee needs to collect this for her young.
In terms of reproduction, after mating, the female bee digs a tunnel into the ground and prepares individual nest cells with a supply of pollen and nectar, on which she lays a single egg. The larva develops in this provisioned cell, eventually emerging as an adult bee the following spring.
Andrena praecox plays a significant role in the ecosystem as a pollinator, especially in early spring when few other pollinators are active.
