This very small bee is a close relative of Andrena minutula (Kirby) and can be easily misidentified as such by the novice. The species is bivoltine. Perkins (1914) formerly treated the individuals of these broods as distinct species: Andrena parvuloides (spring) and Andrena minutuloides (summer). Later he relegated the name parvuloides to that of a junior synonym of minutuloides (Perkins, 1919).

A large, robust mining bee, reminiscent of Andrena cineraria in overall appearance but in the female lacking the distinct transverse inter-alar band of that species and the hind tibia is clad with mainly white hairs, not black. The gaster of both sexes has a conspicuous blue cast; wings strongly infuscated.

At the top of each species account is a hierarchy e.g. Wasp » Vespidae » Vespinae » Vespula » Vespula germanica. Can we keep the hierarchical links as clickable links in the pages that open when for example Vespinae is clicked above to give you: Wasp » Vespidae »… Read more

Might be an issue with server space on BRC server, so resort to linking to external pages or “embedding” Youtube videos on pages.