Blackthorn Mining Bee vs Lesser Smoothcap

Andrena varians compared with Atrichum angustatum

Key Differences

• Blackthorn Mining Bee is Least Concern while Lesser Smoothcap is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Lesser Smoothcap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Bryophyta
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Polytrichopsida (Polytrichopsida)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Polytrichales (Polytrichales)
Family	Andrenidae	Polytrichaceae
Genus	Andrena	Atrichum
Species	Andrena varians	Atrichum angustatum

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Mining Bee

LC — Least Concern

Lesser Smoothcap

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackthorn Mining Bee	Lesser Smoothcap
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.

Lesser Smoothcap

Habitat

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

Range

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

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden