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Extra Small - _TNY_0244

The subgenus Micrandena are known as the mini-mining bees – obviously because they are smaller than the rest of the Andrena genus.

 

This one on top of a pink great masterwort (Astrantia major) is a female of either shiny-margined mini-mining bee (Andrena semilaevis) or impunctate mini-mining bee (Andrena subopaca).

 

Discerning between these small guys is difficult from just a shot like this, but I narrowed it down to two species based on distribution.

 

Part 2: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/49713695637/

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Uploaded on January 26, 2020
Taken on July 15, 2019