Blackthorn Mining Bee vs Common Jelly Spot

Andrena varians compared with Dacrymyces stillatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Common Jelly Spot
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Dacrymycetes (Dacrymycetes)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Dacrymycetales (Dacrymycetales)
Family	Andrenidae	Dacrymycetaceae
Genus	Andrena	Dacrymyces
Species	Andrena varians	Dacrymyces stillatus

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Mining Bee

LC — Least Concern

Common Jelly Spot

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Common Jelly Spot
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackthorn Mining Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Jelly Spot

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

Blackthorn Mining Bee

The Blackthorn Mining Bee (Andrena varians) is a species in the genus Andrena. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Jelly Spot

<em>Dacrymyces stillatus</em>, commonly known as the common jelly spot, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Dacrymycetaceae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with records from five European countries and North America. The species typically grows on damp, dead, or decaying wood, particularly coniferous timber, forming small, gelatinous, orange-yellow cushions or pustules on the substrate surface. As a saprotrophic wood-decay fungus, it contributes to nutrient cycling and the decomposition of woody material in temperate forest ecosystems. The bright gelatinous fruiting bodies make it a conspicuous species when encountered on wet wood in cool, humid conditions. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.