Andrena asteris Robertson, 1891
Properties
Scientific Name: Andrena asteris Robertson, 1891
Common Name: Aster Miner Bee
Taxonomy
Andrena asteris Robertson 1891: 56 [♀, ♂].
Lectotype ♀, designated by LaBerge (1967: 150). USA, Illinois, Carlinville, 8 October [no year provided], by C. Robertson, on Aster [INHS, Robertson no. 9877]
Biology: This species is narrowly oligolectic on Asteraceae (Larkin et al. 2008). A detailed study of its nesting biology, pollen preferences, and nest associates was done by Espinoza et al. (2022). The latter study also confirmed Nomada banksi Cockerell as a nest parasite, confirming the suspicion of Ascher et al. (2014).
References
Robertson C (1891) Descriptions of new species of North American bees. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 18(1): 49-66.http://www.jstor.org/stable/25076556
Ascher JS, Kornbluth S, Goelet RG (2014) Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) of Gardiners Island, Suffolk County, New York. Northeastern Naturalist 21(1): 47-71.https://doi.org/10.1656/045.021.0105
Espinoza AC, Urban-Mead KR, Buckner MA, Flórez-Gómez N, Kueneman JG, Danforth BN (2022) Biology of Andrena (Callandrena sensu lato) asteris Robertson (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), an eastern aster specialist that makes a very deep nest. Northeastern Naturalist 29(4): 474-491.
Larkin LL, Neff JL, Simpson BB (2008) The evolution of a pollen diet: Host choice and diet breadth of Andrena bees (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae). Apidologie 39: 133-145.
Sociality: Solitary
Nesting: Ground
Pollen Specialization: Narrow Oligolecty
Wintering Stage: Mature Larva
Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Aster sp., Symphyotrichum ericoides, Solidago sp., Solidago nemoralis, Symphyotrichum lanceolatum, Solidago rigida, Echinacea sp., Eupatorium altissimum, Persicaria pensylvanica, Solidago puberula, Solidago ulmifolia
Distribution: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec
Ecozone: Atlantic Maritime, Boreal Shield, Mixwood Plains, Prairie