Bug FAQEastern Thistle Longhorn Bee
Melissodes desponsus · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Apidae
Also called: Thistle Long-horned Bee, Eastern Thistle Longhorn
The Eastern Thistle Longhorn Bee is a solitary, ground-nesting bee with pale yellow thorax and black abdomen. They are found in the northeastern United States into southern Canada and are active in mid-to-late summer, feeding on Cirsium thistles.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They have pale yellow thoraxes and black abdomens.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Females measure 12 to 13.5 mm and have orange scopae on their hind legs, often covered with white thistle pollen. Males are 11 to 13.5 mm long, have longer antennae and yellow clypei.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active during mid-to-late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are most commonly seen in mid-to-late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their range covers the northeastern United States and extends into southern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Virginia, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Apidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissodes_desponsus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.