Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva

Sexual dimorphism reaches dramatic levels in this tiny sand bee. The females sport distinctive fox-red hair on their thorax and abdomen, making them unmistakable jewels of spring, while males wear golden-brown coats with fuzzy white faces and tiny tooth-like projections on their jaws. At just 8–12 mm long, this is one of Europe's most beautifully colored early-season bees, nesting in bare ground and sandy soil.