Saving the small things that run the planet
Cat’s-ear Mining Bee
Fast Facts
Latin name: Andrena humilis
Notable feature: Females have a buff-coloured hairs at the tip of the abdomen, and a buff-coloured pollen brush on their hind legs.
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
Where in the UK: Widespread, but localised in southern and central Britain, as far north as Cumbria.
Cat's-ear Mining Bee (Andrena humilis) © Denis Mariasis (CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist)
The Cat’s-ear Mining Bee (Andrena humilis) is a medium solitary bee found in the UK. They have a sparse coat of pale brown hairs over most of their body, with a dense covering of golden hairs over the tip of the abdomen.
The Cat’s-ear Mining Bee can be found on heathland, acid grassland and coastal cliff-top grassland. Unsurprisingly, they have their name because they feed on the yellow-flowered Cat’s-ear (Hypochaeris radicata) plant, among other yellow-flowered composites.
Size: ~10mm
Life span: Annual
Diet: Forage on yellow-flowered composites such as Cat’s-ear, hawk’s-beards, dandelions, buttercups and mouse-ears.
Reproduction: Nest in aggregations along bare footpaths. Their nests are host to the Cat’s-ear Nomad (Nomada integra).
When to see: On the wing from May to July.
Population Trend: Declining.
Threats: Loss of flower-rich habitat and nesting sites.
Interesting Fact: The Cat’s-ear Mining Bee has recently been rediscovered (2024) at Barr Beacon Local Nature Reserve, Walsall, after having been absent locally for decades!
Buglife is working to restore habitat for the Cat’s-ear Mining Bee and other invertebrates through specific projects and campaigns, including Solitary Bee Week and B-Lines, but we need your help!
Buglife B-Lines are an imaginative and beautiful solution to the problem of the loss of flowers and pollinators. B-Lines are a series of ‘insect pathways’ running through our countryside and towns, along which we are restoring and creating a series of wildflower-rich habitat stepping stones. Linking existing wildlife areas together, creating a network, like a railway, that will weave across the UK landscape. More information about B-Lines and how you can help pollinators can be found here.
Join a recording scheme and log your finds – send any records/sightings to BWARS or download the iRecord app and get recording!
Do remember that we rely on donations to continue our work. If you have searched, found and learnt about our incredible invertebrates on our website, please do consider Making a Donation, Becoming a Member or maybe even making a purchase in our shop. For more ideas on how to support our work find out how to Get Involved. Thank you 🕷
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