Blackthorn Mining Bee vs Ghost Shield

Andrena varians compared with Pluteus pellitus

Key Differences

Blackthorn Mining Bee is Least Concern while Ghost Shield is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Ghost Shield
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	Pluteaceae
Genus	Andrena	Pluteus
Species	Andrena varians	Pluteus pellitus

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Mining Bee

LC — Least Concern

Ghost Shield

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Ghost Shield
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.

Ghost Shield

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.