California Digger Bee
Andrena caliginosa
insectView on iNaturalist
Small, solitary metallic bee, dark with lighter leg hairs. Ground-nester active March-April; pollinates early buckwheat and manzanita. Irreplaceable spring pollinator for native flowers.
Plants that support California Digger Bee
2 plants
Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry
Ribes speciosum
shrub
larval development on plant tissues; early spring emergence
Bay Area native
Hillside Gooseberry
Ribes californicum var. californicum
shrub
Early spring pollen collection for larval provisions; ground-nesting native bee
Bay Area native