Bug FAQRhus Fairy Bee
Perdita rhois · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Andrenidae
Adult Rhus fairy bees are very small, ranging from about 2 to 10 mm in length. They nest in the soil like other mining bees and are found across Central and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 2 mm and 10 mm in body length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They build their nests in the soil, typical of mining bees.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They visit flowers of many plant species, often favoring small white-flowered clusters like those of laurel sumac.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Like other mining bees, they construct their nests underground.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs in Central America and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Because of their tiny size, they are frequently mistaken for gnats.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Colorado, Arizona.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: endemic in North America; endemic in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where are Rhus fairy bees found?
They live in Central America and North America and nest in the soil like other mining bees.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do they visit?
They forage on many flowers, especially those of laurel sumac that have small white clusters.
Source: Wikipedia
Can I mistake them for other insects?
Yes, their tiny size often leads people to think they are gnats.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Andrenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perdita_rhois
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.