Black Bees Commonly Found in Minnesota

Minnesota is home to over 400 species of native bees. Many of these bees are black in coloration, belonging to families like Andrenidae, Halictidae, and Melittidae. Here are some of the most common black bees you may encounter buzzing around your garden in the Land of 10000 Lakes.

Mining Bees

Mining bees in the Andrenidae family are solitary ground nesters The females excavate narrow tunnels in bare soil to lay their eggs. They line these burrows with a waxy secretion Mining bees get their name from this burrowing behavior.

Some mining bee species found in Minnesota include:

• Andrena milwaukeensis – Also called the Milwaukee mining bee. These plump, fuzzy, black bees have white tufts of hair on their abdomens. They emerge early in spring to pollinate flowering fruit trees.

• Andrena nivalis – A small, slender mining bee covered in black hair. It flies low to the ground and prefers flowers like dandelions and clover.

• Calliopsis andreniformis – This yellow-faced mining bee has a black head and thorax with yellow markings on its abdomen. It flies in spring and summer, pollinating plants in the aster family.

Sweat Bees

Sweat bees in the Halictidae family get their common name from their attraction to human perspiration. However, they don’t sting or bite us. These tiny bees lap up sweat for its moisture and sodium content.

Look for these black sweat bees in Minnesota:

• Halictus confusus – The females are black while the males have brown abdomens. Nests are dug into the soil and lined with a waxy secretion.

• Lasioglossum leucozonium – Females of this species are black with white abdominal bands. The males have yellow faces. They are important pollinators of wildflowers and vegetable crops.

• Dialictus zephyrus – This is a primitively eusocial species, meaning it lives in small communal nests with a division of labor. These black sweat bees have pale abdominal bands.

Melittid Bees

Melittidae is a very small family of solitary ground-nesting bees. They are typically small to medium-sized, black bees with or without abdominal bands of hair. Two species are found in Minnesota:

• Hesperapis carinata – The females are solid black while the males have pale yellow markings on their faces and abdomens. They fly low to the ground, pollinating plants like milkweeds, coreopsis, and bee balm.

• Melitta americana – Also called the blueberry bee for its proclivity for pollinating these shrubs. The females are black while the males have yellow abdominal stripes. They nest in sandy soil.

Leafcutter Bees

Leafcutter bees in the Megachilidae family use pieces of leaves to construct their nests in cavities. The alfalfa leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata) was imported to the U.S. from Europe to pollinate alfalfa fields. It has a black head and thorax with an abdomen striped in black and pale yellow.

Other leafcutter bees native to Minnesota include Megachile relativa and Megachile inermis. They have black bodies marked by pale yellow or white hairs on their abdomens.

Small Carpenter Bees

The Ceratina genus of small carpenter bees chew out narrow tunnels in pithy plant stems. They line the tunnels with secretions and pollen balls on which they lay their eggs. Look for these shiny blue-black bees foraging on flowers through summer. Two Ceratina species in Minnesota are C. calcarata and C. dupla.

Bumble Bees

Bumble bees in the Bombus genus are eusocial, forming small colonies with queens, workers, and males. These fuzzier bees are important wildflower pollinators. Their black bodies have various banding patterns in yellow, orange, or white. Common bumble bees in Minnesota include:

• Bombus griseocollis – Brown-belted bumble bee

• Bombus impatiens – Common eastern bumble bee

• Bombus pennsylvanicus – American bumble bee

• Bombus vagans – Half-black bumble bee

Honey Bees

While not native, the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) can be found both in managed hives and feral colonies in Minnesota. Their black and amber-striped bodies are very recognizable. Honey bees live in large perennial colonies composed of workers, drones, and a queen. They produce honey and beeswax in honeycomb cells inside their hives.

Benefits of Black Bees

As we can see, black bees make up a significant portion of Minnesota’s diverse native bee population. They provide valuable pollination services for wild plants as well as agricultural crops. Some are also important natural enemies, parasitizing insect pest species. By supporting native plants and providing nesting habitats, we can help sustain populations of these beneficial black bees. Their presence indicates a healthy local ecosystem.