Native Beeology

Cellophane Bee / Polyester Bee

tamarack72
1–2 minutes

Cellophane or Polyester Bee- Colletes

Cellophane bees are a diverse group of solitary ground nesting bees represented by over 100 North America species. They resemble and share a similar lifestyle to mining bees and some sweat bees.

BeFunky-collage
Colletes inaequalis is an early spring bee that emerges in late March and early April.

The females will often nest in large aggregations making shallow brood cells only 4 to 6 inches deep. These bees line their brood cells with completely waterproof cellophane-like substance allowing them to nest in very wet areas. This material has been studied as a natural plastic substitute that can decompose in as little as five years. The polyester bee provisions her eggs with a liquid form of nectar and pollen.

Colletes latitarsis (Broad-footed cellophane bee) is a specialist of plants in the Pyhsaylis family which included tomatillo’s.
Colletes Thoracicus at Stony Kill Farm. This was a 1/10 acre aggregation of bees in a field that had been previously plowed to reseeded hay fields.

6 responses to “Cellophane Bee / Polyester Bee”

  1. Marjorie Stansel Avatar
    Marjorie Stansel

    I would like to use the photo of this bee in presentations and articles on polyester (and other mining bees). To whom should I give photo credit?

    Reply
    1. tamarack72 Avatar
      tamarack72

      HI Marjorie. Please feel free to use the photo and give credit to Tim Stanley, Native Beeology.

      Reply
  2. Which Bees Nest In The Ground? – Honey Bee HQ

    […] States and share a similar lifestyle to sweet bees and mining bees. Females are in charge of building the nests and generally create shallow brood cells of 4-6 inches in the […]

    Reply
  3. Which Bees Nest In The Ground? – WhatBugIsThat

    […] States and share a similar lifestyle to sweet bees and mining bees. Females are in charge of building the nests and generally create shallow brood cells of 4-6 inches in the […]

    Reply
  4. Keaton Avatar
    Keaton

    Veery thoughtful blog

    Reply
  5. October Garden To-Do List – Local News

    […] Feed the soilCover bare soil with organic matter such as compost, leaves, straw, mulch, or manure to replenish nutrients and prevent erosion and loss of moisture. Leave some soil bare for polyester bees! […]

    Reply

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