red-abdomen bee ID please

[philip shaw]

What's this?


This insect was seen on sweet peas outside Stockholm on july 18 2010. It has four wings (probably), longer antennae than most hoverflies (though no obvious elbows in them) and a wasp-waist. So I suppose it is a bee or wasp. It ha a black shiny and hairy thorax and an abdomen with a flat black upper surface and a round bright red under surface, which it holds up while it's looking for nectar or pollen in the flowers. It was slightly overcast but warm this morning. I doesn't look like the Sphecodes albilabris or Cimbex femorata I can find pictures of.

[Jason Green]

Morning Philip, and welcome to WAB!

It's a Leaf-cutter Bee, Megachilidae family - the red abdomen is actually pollen that has collected on the hairs on the underside of the abdomen. As for which bee it is, you often need a microscope and specimen though some may be more distinctive.

Take care,

Jason

[philip shaw]

Brilliant, thank you very much
Philip