HYMENOPTERA > APOCRITA | Aculeata > APOIDEA > Melittidae

Melitta leporina is a common and widespread, ground-nesting, species in the south, where it can be found across a variety of habitats including grasslands, heathland, coastal grazing marshes and suitable brownfield sites. It particularly favours areas with an abundance of clovers, hence its common name. They also visit other flowers with the males often seem on ragworts. The females are similar to Melitta tricincta and can closely resemble a dark-legged Andrena flavipes. Males have bands on the tergites, but less intense than in Melitta tricincta. Adults fly from June until August. The species is a known host of the cleptoparasitic nomad bee, Nomada flavopicta.