Meet the early mining bee (Andrena haemorrhoa), an essential pollinator that nests entirely underground. The females are easily recognized by their striking “foxy-brown” furry thorax and a brilliant, fiery-orange tip at the end of their abdomen. Emerging early in the year, these solitary bees are vital for pollinating spring crops like apple trees and willows. They earn their common name from the females’ habit of excavating nesting tunnels in short grass, footpaths, and sunny, south-facing banks. To harvest pollen from tricky flowers like dandelions and hawthorn, females employ a technique called “buzz pollination,” vigorously vibrating their flight muscles to shake the grains loose. Unlike honeybees, these insects are strictly solitary; each female acts as a single mother, digging and provisioning her own nest. However, their subterranean nurseries face a stealthy threat: the cuckoo bee (Nomada ruficornis), a cleptoparasite that sneaks into the tunnel to lay its own eggs, leaving its larvae to consume the hard-earned pollen store. I spotted this beautiful bee a few times during my bicycle tour in northern Sweden, managing to lock focus for a few stunning frames during one of our encounters.
