Andrena vicina

It is a solitary mining bee native to North America, described by the British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1853. It belongs to the family Andrenidae, one of the largest bee families.

It is known as an early spring species, with adults typically active as soon as temperatures warm and early-blooming plants flower. This makes it one of the bees visiting trees such as willows and fruit blossoms in early spring.

No hive — as its 'mining bee' name suggests, each female digs her own burrow in the ground and provisions it individually. Solitary bees like this are generally non-aggressive and rarely sting.

Early-spring mining bees are significant pollinators of flowering trees and other spring plants, including orchard crops such as apple. Because each female nests independently in soil, they need bare, undisturbed ground rather than hives.