Cliff Mining Bee vs Variable Bluet

Andrena thoracica compared with Coenagrion pulchellum

Key Differences

• Cliff Mining Bee is Extinct while Variable Bluet is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cliff Mining Bee	Variable Bluet
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)
Class same	Insecta (昆蟲綱)	Insecta (昆蟲綱)
Order	Hymenoptera (膜翅目)	Odonata (蜻蜓目)
Family	Andrenidae	Coenagrionidae
Genus	Andrena	Coenagrion
Species	Andrena thoracica	Coenagrion pulchellum

Evolutionary Relationship

Cliff Mining Bee and Variable Bluet share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (昆蟲綱)

Conservation Status

Cliff Mining Bee

EX — Extinct

Variable Bluet

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cliff Mining Bee	Variable Bluet
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cliff Mining Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Variable Bluet

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Cliff Mining Bee

The Cliff Mining Bee, Andrena species in the family Andrenidae, is a solitary ground-nesting bee that excavates tunnels in cliff faces, earthen banks, and compacted sandy or loamy soils, where the loose or friable substrates exposed in cliff profiles provide ideal nesting conditions. Mining bees in the genus Andrena are among the most species-rich solitary bee genera in the world, with hundreds of species across the Holarctic region, many narrowly specialized in their choice of pollen host plants. Female cliff mining bees construct vertical or angled burrows in cliff faces, with lateral cells off the main shaft, each containing a pollen ball and a single egg. Males are typically smaller and emerge before females to establish territories near nesting sites. Many Andrena species are oligolectic, collecting pollen from only a small number of plant species, making their populations sensitive to the availability of specific flowering plants in the landscape surrounding nesting areas. Cliff and bank nesting habitats provide well-drained, sun-warmed substrates essential for brood development. The loss of natural cliff faces and earthen banks to development, vegetation succession, and quarrying reduces available nesting habitat for cliff mining bees.

Variable Bluet

多变蟌(Coenagrion pulchellum)在IUCN红色名录中被评为濒危(EN)。在野外有较高的灭绝风险，种群数量显著下降，生存面临持续威胁。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden