Anthophora

Genus Anthophora

Digger bees do not share nests but they

are gregarious, and can dig thousands of separate small tubular nests within inches of each other in a sandy sea bluff. Diggers are also often seen congregating around puddles, collecting mud for plugging their nest entries. Dense hairiness makes these bees efficient pollen collectors, and they are often mistaken for bumblebees, with whom they share large, showy flowers.

Anthophora edwardsii nests Lopez Island

Anthophora bomboides

A bumblebee look-alike with dense hair on all of its body, some orange to yellow in color. Color patterns vary between local populations

Anthophora edwardsii

Plump, hairy, bumblebee-like head and thorax but only very short hair fringes on the dark abdomen.

Anthophora terminalis

Easily mistaken for a pale, white to grayish bumblebee, but notice the yellow clypeus on its face.