This mining bee has both a spring and a summer brood. These differ morphologically, especially in the male (for example, first brood specimens have a strong, conspicuous genal spine which is lacking in summer brood individuals of this sex). In addition, second brood specimens are often more extensively marked with red on the basal tergites and sternites than their spring counterparts. It is possible that these broods are actually distinct species and research, involving the cytogenetics of each brood, is still ongoing. Indeed, the first brood was formerly considered to be a separate… Read more

This large Andrena is one of a group of three (A. fucata Smith, A. helvola (Linnaeus) and A.synadelpha) which are quite similar in appearance, phenology and habitat preferences (all found most often associated with clearings in deciduous woodland during May and June). The males are often seen visiting the flowers of wood spurge, the females at those of hawthorn and field maple. Females of all these species have gasters which sport bands of brown pubescence, differing mostly in the density of the hairs.

One of the largest Andrena species in Britain. It is a uniformly brown bee with reddish yellow hind legs, especially noticeable in females, where the yellow scopal hairs accentuate this colouring. It belongs to the group with a raised crest around the rear of the propodeum; this can often be seen with a hand-lens when examining specimens in the net. Males may be found patrolling along hedge-lines and around isolated bushes, flying at about head height, presumably searching for newly-emerged females.

BWARS has not yet produced an account for this species. This is a ubiquitous species, kept by beekeepers throughout much of Great Britain and Ireland.

This is a large, very distinctive bee with the thorax densely clad in snow-white hairs and the metasoma almost glabrous, with sparse black hairs and the integument entirely black and polished.

Records can be submitted online HERE

Identification notes are given below

A very attractive black and ginger, medium-sized, Andrena which used to be considered common in the mid 1900s, but which has declined greatly in range and occurrence since then. As it has always been associated with early-flowering trees such as blackthorn and hawthorn, it is difficult to understand why this decline has occurred.

This species was formerly known by the name Andrena saundersella (Perkins, 1914), now treated as a synonym of semilaevis Pérez.

This species is the commoner of the two formerly known as A. pilipes or A. carbonaria. It has a double flight period, unlike its close relative A. nigrospina Thomson. Modern records of A. pilipes sens. str. are mostly coastal, where it can be quite frequent and certainly very obvious. Why this should be is not clear as it visits a wide range of plants for their flowers.

One of the smaller Andrena species, similar in size to the widespread A. bicolor Fabricius. It is unusual in being a northern species, and probably because of this its biology is rather poorly known, historically there being fewer people interested in aculeates in the northern parts of these islands.