Common Yellow-Face Bee

Common Yellow-Face Bee

(Hylaeus communis)

These tiny bees are found in all sorts of habitats where they make their nests in small natural cavities. 

Males have a full yellow mask and females only have small yellow eyespots. In Ireland, this species is mostly found in the east and midlands.

The Plasterer Bees and Yellow-Face Bees

Plasterer Bees and Yellow-Face Bees belong to a group called the Colletidae.

There are about 2,000 different species on Earth. Only 10 species are found in Ireland. All of them are solitary but some species can nest side-by-side in large and noisy groups.

Plasterer Bees smooth the wall of their nest cells with a liquid secretion, which then hardens into a plaster-like material. This material protects the nest from flooding, drought and diseases.

The larger hairy Plasterer Bees (Colletes species) nest in the ground. Some other members of the group, like the Yellow-Face Bees (Hylaeus species), are tiny ant-like species that nest in small holes.