David Element's Wildlife Web Page Hymenoptera 3

David Element

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___ Hymenoptera 3 - Mining Bees (Andreninae)

EARLY MINING BEE Andrena haemorrhoa (f)

GREY MINING BEE Andrena cineraria TAWNY MINING BEE Andrena fulva (f)

SCABIOUS BEE Andrena hattorfiana (BLACK FORM)

SCABIOUS BEE Andrena hattorfiana (RED FORM)

YELLOW-LEGGED MINING BEE Andrena flavipes (f)

MINING BEE Andrena chrysosceles

MINING BEE Andrena nitida

MINING BEE Andrena fuscipes

BRYONY BEE Andrena florea (f)

Several of the more distinctive mining bees from the large family Andreninae have been illustrated. These fascinating little bees are sexually dimorphic and many species are quite difficult to identify. Andrena cineraria and Andrena hattorfiana (the largest British species) are both spreading their ranges in the UK although the latter remains an uncommon insect with highly specific habitat and feeding requirements. The red form of the female is much rarer than the typical black form and there is a very strong association with the foodplant Field Scabious Knautia arvensis. The pollen baskets on the hind legs of the black female are already laden with the pink pollen following repeated visits to this flower. The Bryony Bee Andrena florea is closely associated with White Bryony Bryonia dioica and the photographer has observed one of these insects roosting inside a curled up flower. All of the remaining illustrations are new digital photographs and most were taken using the new Nikon D300 SLR camera. For a more comprehensive photographic coverage of these bees please see the BWARS website: http://www.bwars.com/Gallery.htm . Many Andrena bees are parasitised by nomad bees from the genus Nomada. Each of the above species probably has an associated cleptoparasite. For example Nomada lathburiana parasitises Andrena cineraria, N. ruficornis parasitises A. haemorrhoa and N. armata parasitises A. hattorfiana. These nomad bees are quite difficult to identify from their markings (entomological keys are required) and a knowledge of the identity of the host bee may be a very useful aid to their identification. See Hymenoptera 13 for images of some of these insects. The forthcoming 'Bees of Surrey' by David Baldock will contain numerous illustrations of a wide range of Andrena species including some excellent photographs taken by Jeremy Early and Graham Collins. This book will be published on 18th October 2008.