Colletes cunicularius
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Colletes cunicularius, the vernal colletes or spring mining bee, is a species of solitary bee from the family Colletidae which is widespread in the Palearctic from Britain to the Pacific Ocean which nests in areas of open, sandy soil.
Colletes cinicularius is a large species of Colletes which has an unbanded, hairy, black abdomen which contrasts with the thorax which is covered with brown hair. The most likely confusion species in Britain is Andrena scotica as this also has an early flight period but C. cunicularius is larger than A.scotica with longer antennae and does not have a fovea on the face. The males are smaller and paler than the females.
Colletes cunicularius is widespread in the Palearactic from Great Britain in the west to the Pacific coasts of Siberia and China in the east. In Great Britain it was restricted to the western coastal areas between south Wales and Cumbria but it has been expanding its range inland. As of 2015 it had recently colonised Jersey from the nearby continent and this may also be the source of Colletes cunicularius which have begun to breed in southern England.
Colletes cunicularius is... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Early Cellophane Bee sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 536th most-seen of the 818 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Early Cellophane Bee in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months. Those are among Wadden Sea National Park's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in November.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Early Cellophane Bee sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Early Cellophane Bee sightings, Wadden Sea National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Early Cellophane Bee that you can see in Wadden Sea National Park (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Common Carder Bumble Bee (about 10%), Common Pantaloon Bee (about 10%) and Moss Carder Bee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Early Cellophane Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
