| Euherbstia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Euherbstia excellens Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Andrenidae |
| Subfamily: | Andreninae |
| Genus: | Euherbstia Friese, 1925 |
| Species: | E. excellens |
| Binomial name | |
| Euherbstia excellens Friese, 1925 | |
Euherbstia is a genus of mining bees in the family Andrenidae. [1] The only species in this genus is Euherbstia excellens, which is endemic to Chile. [1] [2]
These bees have been observed to make nests in hard, compact soil, using cracks to enter the ground below. [3] Females will make solitary nests. [3] The female seeks out cracks in the ground, in which she digs a tunnel down to make her nest. [2] [3] She will repeatedly thump the walls of the tunnel with her abdomen, to make them more compact. [3] Like all mining bees, they will create cells which they fill with pollen and eggs, closing them off until the larvae pupate and emerge the next year. [2] [3] Some larvae hibernate in a pupated state up to 2 years. [3] This is probably because these bees live in an arid climate, where it is uncertain whether it will rain enough in a year to sustain the plants they need for food. [3] As one generation of emerging adults might die because of drought, the next generation might survive, giving the species more chance of survival.
The name Euherbstia, (From Herbst, German [4] ) is a reference to the activity of these bees, which is in the months of October and November. [3] Males, and females that have yet to build a nest, sleep overnight in convenient cracks in the soil. [3] Foraging activity peaks around midday. [3]
No cuckoo bee species seem to target the nests of Euherbstia. [3]
