Abstract: A preliminary study has been carried out on the nesting biology and behavior of a solitary bee, Andrena camellia Wu. The authors excavated 23 nests from 4 sampling sites in 2 provinces, Jiangxi and Hunan. Nests of this bee consist of main stems and branches. In some soil of high quality, the main stems are 90-150 cm long, with small tilt angles, whereas those in soil of poor quality are 30-60 cm long, with twist, turns, and big tilt angles. Under a certain depth, there are some short branches connecting the long oval cell. The cell usually slopes gently downwards. Cells of one nest nearly all stay in the same plane. From the opening of the nest to the first cell, the main tunnel is normally vertical with small turns. Downwards from the first cell the main tunnel usually has one or more turns, with the tilt angle no more than 45°. Four adult bees were observed continuously for 7 days. We found that the adult bees go out to collect Camellia pollen everyday except for some rainy days. Each bee goes out 1 to 5 times a day, and the average rate is around 2 to 3 times a day, carrying large amount of pollen.

Key words: Apoidea, Andrena camellia, nesting biology