HYMENOPTERA > APOCRITA | Aculeata > APOIDEA > Apidae

A smallish to medium-sized species distinguished by having a single yellow marking on the scutellum in combination with almost entirely black antennal flagella. Although the abdomen typically has a bold black and yellow pattern with broad, rather triangular-shaped, yellow spots on tergites 2 and 3, some females have the black areas variably to extensively reddish. The tegulae, pronotal collar and pronotal tubercles are yellow, and the thorax has a yellow spot on the side. Females have mostly orange legs with partially black femora, an orange lower face and the first three antennal segments orange, whereas the male has a yellow lower face and more yellow on the legs.

I'm not sure about the situation elsewhere in the country, but in Dorset this species was mainly associated with heathland sites where their primary host, the heather mining bee Andrena fuscipes could be found. I believe that some years ago they were fairly common and could often be seen during July and August when the heather was blooming, but that's certainly not the case now as they are very infrequently recorded. In fact, the majority of records over the past few years have been from much further north.