• Thin, yellow or white stripes of hair on a black abdomen
• Usually with some yellow, orange or white hair on thorax
• Dark bodies, some are slightly metallic
• Medium-large sized (7-13 mm)

This is a large group of bees from 4 different genera that are often difficult to distinguish from each other. The majority of these bees nest in tunnels dug underground. They are mostly solitary and are active at different times during the spring and summer. This group includes both generalists and specialists.