This species was formerly referred to in the British and Irish literature either as a form of Lasioglossum smeathmanellum, with the female gaster mostly black and not metallic (Stelfox 1927), or as a species without a name (R C L Perkins 1935). This neglected species was later considered to consist of two allied, but undescribed species, by A W Ebmer. He described them under the names Lasioglossum scoticum (described from Scotland, but clearly known also from England and Wales) and L. hibernicum (described from Ireland) (Ebmer 1970). Later he considered them to… Read more

One of the socially parasitic bumblebees formerly placed in the genus Psithyrus, which is now regarded as a sub-genus of Bombus. It is known to parasitise the nests of Bombus lucorum. The general distribution is more northerly than that of its look-alike Bombus vestalis, which parasitises B. terrestris. This may be a species which is showing signs of distribution change due to climatic change. The map shows a number of post… Read more

One of a group of medium-sized, predominantly black, Lasioglossum bees which require care in identification and which are unlikely to be easily recognised in the field. This is a species which is distributed throughout the northern regions of both the New and Old World, although it is montane in the southern parts of its range.

One of two small Osmia bees frequently occurring in gardens as well as woodland clearings and edges. The males of both O. leaiana and O. caerulescens are extremely hard to distinguish, being about 6mm long, shining metallic green and having bright ginger hairs when fresh. The best character is microscopic: look at the downward-sloping front surface of the first gastral tergite. It is shining in O. caerulescens and matt with reticulation in O. leaiana… Read more