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Pearly-banded bee
Pearly-banded bee
Scientific Name
Scientific Name
(Nomia maneei)
(Nomia maneei)
The pearly-banded bee is one of two species of Nomia found in eastern North America. Nomia maneei is threatened by human development that alters coastal dunes, where they are more commonly found (1, 2). These bees range from New Jersey to Florida and west towards Mississippi (3). In Maryland, the species has been reported on the Eastern Shore; the most recent report occurred in 2021 in Queen Anne's County (4, 5). Prior to 2021, it was last reported in Worcester County more than a decade prior (6).
Identification
Identification
The pearly-banded bee is named for the unique pearlescent green bands on its abdomen (3, 4). It can further be identified by the narrowing distance between the eyes from the top of the head to the mandibles (4). The hind femur and tibia of males are larger than most other bees (3). In contrast, the females have thick pollen-collecting hairs on their femur and tibia (1).
Nomia nortoni is also found in Maryland but is likely just an accidental visitor in the western panhandle. When comparing the two bees, N. maneii is about the size of a honeybee while N. nortoni is 1.5 times larger (1, 4).
Male. Photo by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, MD, USA.Public Domain. This image has been modified from the original.
Male. Photo by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, MD, USA.Public Domain. This image has been modified from the original.
Life cycle
Life cycle
Bees of the Halictidae family, also known as sweat bees, primarily nest underground. Nomia bees nest in large clusters with many entrances, where multiple females may exhibit communal behavior by sharing an entrance. Despite this, each female digs their own nest cell with pollen and an egg (1, 7). The pearly-banded bee usually takes flight from May to September (3, 7). Nomia bees are generalists as they visit a variety of pollen sources, although N. maneei tends to favor those of the pea family, such as the Galactia and Phaseolus (3, 4, 7).
Habitat
Habitat
Ground-nesting bees prefer nesting in loose soil from sand dunes. The pearly-banded bee can be found in deep, sandy areas (4, 6).
How can you help?
How can you help?
Preventing the destruction of coastal sand dunes is key to preserving the pearly-banded bee, as is planting some of its favorite flowers nearby.
Common bean
Common bean
(Phaseolus vulgaris)
H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Eastern milkpea
Eastern milkpea
(Galactia regularis)
Sesamehoneytart, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
References
References
- Carril, O. M., and J. S. Wilson. 2021. Common Bees of Eastern North America. Princeton University, 123: 62-63.
- Abbate, A., J. W. Campbell, C. B. Kimmel, and W. H. Kern Jr. 2019. Urban development decreases bee abundance and diversity within coastal dune systems. Global Ecology and Conservation, 20.
- Mitchell, T. B. 1960. Bees of the Eastern United States I. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station 1(141): 508-510.
- Bees of Maryland: A Field Guide. North American Native Bee Collaborative 2017. http://bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf. Last accessed 20 April 2022.
- Droege, S. 2021. Information on record USGS_DRO629823. Discover Life. https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20l?id=USGS_DRO629823. Last accessed 20 April 2022.
- Selfridge, J. A., C. T. Frye, J. Gibbs, and R. P. Jean. 2017. The bee fauna of inland sand dune and ridge woodland communities in Worcester County, Maryland. Northeastern Naturalist 24(4).
- Carril, O. M. and Wilson, J. S. 2015. The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees. Princeton University, 141-142.
© 2021 Price Lab for Entomology, Min Oo, Sean Philips, and Dana L. Price
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