Love or hate

[acherontia]

I'm really not sure what's going on here - I suspect it may be love but, if so, the female seemed extremely reluctant.

I think it's Andrena marginata and the tawny is a female and the black are males.

There was a lot like this over an area of around 10sq meters with the tawny coloured mining bees going in and out -



This bee had two black ones (males?) on her(?)



until one flew away..



and left the two together





I'd be very grateful if anyone could confirm the taxonomy of the bees and whether this is mining bee mating?

It was absolutely fascinating to watch and well worth getting down in the sand and muck with my macro lens!

Acher

[Matt Smith]

Your bees are certainly an Andrena species, but not A.marginata, which is a late summer scabious visiting species. Looks to me like males attempting to mate with newly emerged females as you surmised.

[acherontia]

OH thought it may be Andrena scotica ?
He says although solitary they nest communally - as these were. They all had their own little nest but it was like a mini housing estate!

Still not sure though - although it's nice to have it confirmed they were mating.

Pat

[eucera]

I think these may be a mating pair of Andrena barbilabris. As Matt says... A. marginata is a high summer species, flying in late July into early September

[acherontia]

Aha! It certainly looks like Abarbilabris.

Thank you

Pat