Hamish's bee id?

[Alan]

I’ve taken the liberty of putting these images up by Hamish F (hope you don’t mind Hamish!).

A very striking bee! Great images!

I think it could be of the Genus Melecta, maybe M. albifrons? Though it does say they often have white spots on abdomen. If it is, it says in the BWARS Handbook: 2 species nationally, 1 probably extinct.

Is it possible it could also be Andrena cineraria?

Any thoughts? ... eucera!




Here’s Hamish’s image description also:

Unidentified bee, photo taken 23/10/2006 but I don't think you would normally see this bee at this time of year. I dug them up out of the soil at a depth of 4-5inches under the turf. Each bee was totally encased in a layer of fine soil protecting it from the more open texture of the surrounding soil; when the bees came out they left a perfect imprint of themselves behind. In total there were nine alive bees that I found, some had been killed by me digging and some were already dead, and a couple had been predated. most of them were found in an area of 1metre by 1.7metres each bee appeared to be about 30cm from its nearest neighbour.

The smallest squares on the graph paper in the photo are 2mm.

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

[eucera]

It is certainly a female Andrena cineraria

Stuart

[Alan]

Thanks Stuart.

Alan

[Hamish F]

Thanks Alan & Stuart