Andrenine Bee vs Common Nut Truffle

Andrena wilkella compared with Hymenogaster vulgaris

Key Differences

• Andrenine Bee is Least Concern while Common Nut Truffle is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Andrenine Bee	Common Nut Truffle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Andrenidae	Hymenogastraceae
Genus	Andrena	Hymenogaster
Species	Andrena wilkella	Hymenogaster vulgaris

Conservation Status

Andrenine Bee

LC — Least Concern

Common Nut Truffle

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Andrenine Bee	Common Nut Truffle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Andrenine Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Common Nut Truffle

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States.

Andrenine Bee

The Andrenine Bee (Andrena wilkella) is a species in the genus Andrena. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Common Nut Truffle

<em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em>, the common nut truffle, is a hypogeous (below-ground) fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae, order Agaricales. This sequestrate species produces enclosed, truffle-like fruiting bodies that mature underground and rely primarily on small mammals and invertebrates for spore dispersal, as the sporocarps never open to release spores aerially. <em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em> typically forms ectomycorrhizal associations with hardwood tree species, particularly oaks and beeches, in temperate European forests. Its geographic range includes Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States, reflecting a somewhat scattered distribution across temperate zones. The species is currently assessed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, indicating that insufficient information exists to evaluate its conservation status, likely because hypogeous fungi are difficult to survey and their population trends are poorly known. Biological traits such as lifespan, body size, and diet remain poorly documented for this species. As an ectomycorrhizal fungus, <em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em> plays a critical role in facilitating nutrient uptake in host trees and supporting forest health across its temperate range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States