[1] The bee's current known range is on the barrier islands and coastal mainland secondary dunes on the Gulf Coast of the United States in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.

The Gulf Coast solitary bee is the only known member of its subfamily in the eastern United States, and it is a monolege of the coastal plain honeycomb head (Balduina angustifolia).

[4] The Gulf Coast solitary bee appears to be monolectic, only gathering pollen and nectar from one floral host, the coastal plain honeycomb head, Balduina angustifolia.

[1] Adult Gulf Coast solitary bee activity coincides with the bloom of its pollen host, the coastal plain honeycomb head, in September and October.

[15] Female Gulf Coast solitary bees have modified hind basitarsi setae that form a trough-like depression used to excavate nests in sandy soils.

In response to unpredictable habitat, bees often enter extended diapause for two or three years, delaying emergence until blooms of their host plants.

[12] At least one congener, Hesperapis rhodocerata, has been shown to exhibit extended diapause, not emerging until sufficient rainfall resulted in blooms of the preferred pollen host.

[19] Barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico are long and narrow bands of sand that run parallel to the shore from two miles west of Alabama to Destin, Florida in the east.

[20] In 2011–2012, the bee was found in higher densities on the coastal mainland sites which had three times the number of honeycomb head patches compared to the barrier islands.

[20] The bee and plant are found in higher densities on the coastal mainland sites, potentially due to reduced high intensity storm disturbance in these areas.

[20] As such, the Gulf Coast solitary bee and its host plant appear to require a moderate level of disturbance in their naturally shifting dune habitats.

[21] Indeed, a Gulf Coast solitary female has been recorded digging a burrow in fine sand within the largest patch of honeycomb head in the area on Fort Pickens.