Andrena chrysopus

Asparagus Mining Bee

A medium-sized mining bee (9–10 mm) with strongly shining tergites, broad white hair bands, an orange-red anal fringe, and bright orange-red hind tibial brushes. It is strictly oligolectic on Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis, Asparagaceae), collecting pollen exclusively from wild or uncut cultivated asparagus. Males cannot be distinguished from similar Andrena species in the field. It nests solitarily in self-excavated burrows in sparsely vegetated sandy or loess soils, on river embankments, inland dunes, sand pits, and ruderal areas. It is univoltine, flying from mid-May to late June. In Switzerland it occurs in scattered warm lowland locations with wild asparagus stands, particularly in the Rhône Valley, Ticino, and along major rivers. Swiss Red List: Endangered (EN).