Plasterer Bee (Polyester Bee)

Description:

Black and densely covered with long hair, usually brown but whitish to yellowish on abdomen. Pollen brush on hind tibia. Wings clear. One was to identify collated bees from other bee families is by differences in wing venation.

Habitat:

Meadows, gardens and lawns. This spotting was done at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, an estuary and bird sanctuary located next to the Pacific Ocean.

Notes:

The Plasterer Bee lines its underground chambers with a thin, delicate cellophane-like coating of saliva. This has suggested both of the bees' two nicknames. While not hive-dwellers, these solitary bees do tend to live in clusters called "aggregations". Additional material source: National Audubon Guide to North American Insects and Spiders, Milne & Milne