bee and one possible bee for id please

[Naturenutz]

Took these 2 today,first one was the smaller of the 2 and appeared to be carrying large amounts of pollen.

[JRsbugs]

Can't say for the first, there's not enough showing and it's well worn.

#2 has to be the cuckoo bee Bombus rupestris male, although the back leg looks a little broad I can't see it's anything else.

Janet

[eucera]

I am sure that # 2 is a male B. rupestris. # 1 is tricky... but could be a second brood Andrena flavipes, although it is surprisingly worn. You don't say where the pics were taken. Can you help?

[Naturenutz]

Hi photos were taken on limestone land ,kept by english nature.Short grass mixed with long grassy areas,many flowers.I am sure i saw at least one other that looked identical.probably 10mm or so in size ,abdomen looked black with 2 or 3 white rings.To be honest it was so heavily loaded with pollen it was hard to see the upper body area.It did not seem to be hairy,a little like a honey be tail end in that it looked hairless but darker and it was smaller than a honey bee.It was just north of bristol.

[Naturenutz]

2 poorer photo's but may help a little.

[Naturenutz]

Thanks for your help janet and eucera, ive looked up andrena flavipes and i have to say i think thats the fella ,but anymore info appreciated . i found a distribution map and it seems to be in this area . Is it one of the 6 common bees or is it less common ?

[eucera]

the 6 "common bees" you refer to are probably the so-called "big 6" bumblebees (B. hortorum, B. terrestris, B. lucorum, B. pratorum, N. pascuorum & B. lapidarius).

There are about 240 other species of bee on the British list, a number of which are very common in parts of the country.

A quick warning on using distribution maps: Don't forget, although the range might be well displayed, the maps give no clue as to habitat, OR flight period. Luckily, A. flavipes is pretty generally distributed in the south and has a spring flight period and an early summer flight period.