Identification help

**darlo** · 23-05-2019, 10:08 AM

Hi everyone

I have a friend who sent me this picture asking if it was a honey bee. I have to say, whilst I have dark bees, this one appears very black and was wondering if it's a native. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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**Feckless Drone** · 23-05-2019, 10:50 AM

How about a Chocolate Mining Bee (Andrena scotica)??

**Mellifera Crofter** · 23-05-2019, 11:43 AM

Some solitary bees can look so much like honey bees on first glance! One way to distinguish them from each other is that the antennae of solitary bees are straight, while honey bees' antennae have a kink in them. (I can't remember who pointed that out to me.)
Kitta

**AndyC** · 23-05-2019, 11:47 AM

Might be a British Black Honey bee?

**Mellifera Crofter** · 23-05-2019, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by AndyC

Might be a British Black Honey bee?

No Andy - look at the antennae (I mentioned that above). It's a solitary bee, and Feckless Drone's guess as the kind of bee might be right - I don't know.