Photo: S. Rae / CC BY 2.0
Andrena agilissima
Blue-winged Mining Bee
A large, fast-flying mining bee (14–15 mm) with a striking blue-metallic sheen on its black body and dark-tinted wings. It nests communally in steep loess or sand banks, where multiple females share a common entrance tunnel while each tends her own brood cells. It specializes almost exclusively on Brassicaceae flowers, particularly wild mustard and radish, and is celebrated as Germany's Wild Bee of the Year 2019. Swiss Red List: Endangered (EN).
Species Facts
- Size
- 14–15 mm
- Flight Period
- May to June
- Nesting
- Ground
- Specialization
- Brassicaceae
- Abundance
- Uncommon
- Family
- Andrenidae
External Sources
This data has been cross-referenced with national sources:
Data Source & Copyright
| Category | Source / Author | License |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | S. Rae | CC BY 2.0 |
| Taxonomy & Distribution | InfoFauna Switzerland | Public data |
| Global Distribution | GBIF | CC BY 4.0 |
Data Quality
Adequate Last audit: 2026-05-22
Completeness: 100%
✓Photo exists✓Traits consistent✓Description quality✓Red List referenced✓Attribution verified
Confidence: 33%
IdentifiabilityLowImage confidenceLowImage qualityMediumTrait coherenceHigh
Risk flags
Hard to identify
Difficult to identify genus (andrena)
