HYMENOPTERA > APOCRITA | Aculeata > APOIDEA > Andrenidae

There are several similar Andrena species where the females have largely hairless tergites with variable white fringes around the hind margins; Andrena wilkella, A.dorsata, A.similis and, although rarely recorded, A.afzeliella are the species that need to be considered here. Andrena ovatula though has distinguishing features including a short brown pile on top of the thorax and well-formed white fringes on tergites 2-4 where the banding on tergite 3 is more or less complete with only a small gap, whereas in Andrena wilkella it is clearly broken. Similarly, in both Andrena dorsata and A.similis, where the fringes of tergite 2 and 3 are well separated. The other important feature to note is that the hind tibia is usually orange, or at least partly orange, not black. The males also resemble Andrena wilkella, but have complete hair fringes on tergites 3 and 4.

Andrena ovatula is a locally common species across much of the south. There are two generations, the first flying from late March into early June, and a second that emerges around mid-June and persists until September. Although the individual featured below, which was identified by an expert on the BWARS FB group, was photographed in the garden, they would normally be found on heathland or coastal grassland where there are gorses. Over fifty Andrena species have been recorded in Dorset over the years with Andrena ovatula currently (May 24) sitting in joint third place behind the two most common species Andrena flavipes and Andrena cineraria.