TheAndrenidae (commonly known asmining bees) are a large, nearlycosmopolitan family of solitary, ground-nestingbees. Most of the family's diversity is located in temperate or arid areas (warm temperatexeric). It includes some enormous genera (e.g.,Andrena with over 1300 species, andPerdita with over 700). One of the subfamilies,Oxaeinae, is so different in appearance that they were typically accorded family status, but carefulphylogenetic analysis reveals them to be an offshoot within the Andrenidae, very close to theAndreninae.[1]
The Andrenidae are typically small to moderate-sized bees, which often havescopae on the basal segments of the leg in addition to thetibia, and are commonlyoligolectic (especially within the subfamilyPanurginae). They can be distinguished from other bee families by the presence of two subantennal sutures on the face, a primitive trait shared with thesphecoid wasps. Many groups also have depressions or grooves called "foveae" on the head near the upper margin of the eyes, another feature seen insphecoids, and also shared by someColletidae. Andrenids are among the few bee families that have nocleptoparasites. The family contains a very large number of taxa, especially among the Panurginae, whosesting apparatus is so reduced that they are effectively unable to sting.[1]
The subfamily Oxaeinae is rather different in appearance from the other subfamilies, being large, fast-flying bees with large eyes, resembling some of the largerColletidae.[1]
The Andrenidae are one of the four bee families that contain somecrepuscular species; these species are active only at dusk or in the early evening, and therefore technically consideredvespertine. In the Andrenidae, such species occur primarily in the subfamily Panurginae. These bees, as is typical in such cases, have greatly enlargedocelli, though one crepuscular subgenus ofAndrena has normal ocelli. The other families with some crepuscular species areHalictidae, Colletidae, andApidae.[1]
^Myers, P.; Espinosa, R.; Parr, C.S.; Jones, T.; Hammond, G.S.; Dewey, T.A. (2025)."Orphana".Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved1 June 2025.
^"Report:Mesoxaea".Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved1 June 2025.
