Field Guide
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Tawny Mining Bee
Andrena fulva
Not yet photographed by the community
Ginger-furred female; nests in lawn 'volcanos' in spring.
Species Profile
Not threatened; currently classified as stable and common across the UK.
- Lifespan
- Adults live for several weeks to a few months; females may overwinter and emerge the following spring
- Size & Weight
- 12–13 mm in length
- Habitat
- Open, sunny areas with bare or sparsely vegetated ground, including gardens, parks, heathland, and sandy slopes where females can excavate burrows.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; widespread and resident, with populations emerging in early spring.
- Diet
- Adults feed on pollen and nectar from spring flowers such as pussy willow, hawthorn, and fruit tree blossoms.
- Predators
- Robber flies, some spider species, and parasitic wasps; larvae are vulnerable to ground-dwelling predators.
- Mating Season
- March to May
- Breeding
- Females are solitary miners, each excavating individual burrows in bare ground and laying 6–12 eggs per season; single brood per year.
- Behaviour
- Females are solitary miners that dig vertical burrows up to 60 cm deep in bare soil, provisioning each cell with pollen and nectar for their larvae. Males emerge slightly earlier than females and spend time patrolling and mating. This species is one of the earliest-emerging bees in the UK, often appearing in late February or March.
- •Females are distinctively reddish-orange or russet-coloured, making them easily recognisable compared to other mining bee species.
- •The rapid emergence of Tawny Mining Bees in late winter makes them important early-season pollinators when few other insects are active.
- •Males do not participate in nest construction or brood care and die after mating, typically by May.
- •Their excavation activity can create temporary patches of disturbed ground that are visible as small mounds in gardens and parks.
- •The species is increasingly observed in urban gardens, particularly in south-east England, possibly due to milder winters and increased availability of early-flowering ornamentals.
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