Natural History Photographs


Andrena vaga
Authority:Panzer, 1799
Nederlands:Grijze zandbij
English:Grey-backed mining bee
Deutsch:Große Weiden-Sandbiene
Tafelbergheide, the Netherlands; 11 - 13 April 2007.
Top row, female at nest mount; second row, female and female loaded with Willow pollen; third row, view of the colony; fourth row, female loaded with Willow pollen entering nest.
Fochteloërveen, the Netherlands; 22 April 2007.
Females feeding at Willow catkins (Salix spec.)
Huizen, the Netherlands; 10 April 2009.
Female feeding at Sloe (Prunus spinosa). Although this bee is oligolectic, collecting pollen only from Salix, females may occasionaly forage on other flowers for nectar to feed themselves.
Tafelbergheide, the Netherlands; 10 April 2009.
Two males. Males do never collect pollen, yet the male on the right photo is dusted with pollen... The solution to this little riddle is that the male tried to enforce copulation with a female that returned from a foraging trip. In the ensuing struggle, the male got dusted!