Solitary bee or tiny honey bee?

[mothhawk]

This afternoon I saw a bee that looked very similar to a honeybee, except she was only about a centimetre long. She had full pollen baskets.

Now, I have both mining and mason bees, and the occasional leafcutter, but masons are usually quite furry and ginger, and the other two I thought didn't have pollen baskets.

No picture alas, by the time I'd fetched the camera she had gone.

Honeybees don't come that small, do they? So what bee could it be?

Anyone any clues?

[Kirk]

There is a buff tailed and a white tailed bumble bee, they look similar as the white tailed ones get a bit "mucky" and so look an off white or buff colour.

Little smaller then the usual bumble bee we see, and more resemblence to the honey bee in size. I had a nest of them last year somewehre under the Bay tree/bush. They seemed to like sun bathing and generally being "laid back".

Used to depart the nest and rest on a section of a dark plank I had, then they combed themselves warmed up and eventually flew off. On their return they often stopped on the wood again, cleaned and combed themselves, had a rest then decided to drop off whatever they had to the nest.

Pleasant little things, pollinated everything they could find, made easier as the nest was at the top corner of the veg bed, so the tomaot's and peppers were a short buzz away. Less flying and more sunbathing I think was the order of the day.

[Scoot]

Sounds like some sort of solitary bee being that size.

It's not a white tailed bumble bee or a buff tailed bumble bee as you can see here:

https://bumblebeeconservation.org/ab...on-bumblebees/

They are bumblebees and are a lot bigger and more hairy than little solitary bees and honey bees

[mothhawk]

Yes, definitely not a bumble, but I'm hard-pressed to find a solitary bee that has corbicula. Most collect pollen on their abdomens, not their legs.

I'll have to hope she'll return when i have a camera handy