11 Unequal Cellophane Bee

Colletes inaequalis

Characteristics

Length: Female 0.47–0.51 in (12–13 mm); male 0.35–0.39 in (9–10 mm).

Flight season: March–July.

Nectar sources: Very varied, including fruit trees.

Habitat: Meadows, grassland, riverbanks, parks, gardens.

One of the first pollinators to emerge in spring, the males usually appear first, spending their days visiting apple, cherry, and blueberry flowers, and searching for newly emerged females. These bees have heart-shaped faces, with the eyes slanting downward as the head tapers toward the mouth. The head and thorax are dark, with paler hairs, and the abdomen has ivory-coloured stripes rimmed with pale hairs.

Native to eastern North America, the unequal cellophane bee is one of the plasterer bees, whose name comes from their habit of lining nest cells with a waterproof, fungus-resistant, cellophane-like substance. When dry, it looks like clear plastic. Each cell is filled with a mixture of pollen and nectar, with an egg attached to the upper wall of the cell. The bees collect impressive quantities of pollen from a wide range of flowers on their hind legs. Nests up to 18 in (45 cm) deep are burrowed in light soil, even in urban back gardens. They are called “solitary” bees because each female excavates her own nest, but in suitable conditions there may be hundreds or thousands of burrows in close proximity.