Andrena male giganticus

[JRsbugs]

Well, it might as well be call giganticus as it was (no kidding!) a good 17mm!

I thought this size was rather unusual for a male, so maybe it has a growth disorder or there is a bee which is this size and it might be identifiable.

12th May on top of my Forsythia Fiesta, it landed but I couldn't see it after landing as it was quite high so I pulled the branch down and took these shots single handed at close range which for a big insect using a macro lens is not easy.

Janet

[JRsbugs]

I had a female not long after this male which was a good 16mm or maybe more.. I wonder if it was the same as the male, it was on the same shrub on 18th May.

I got a tape measure and held it with one had while I took a photo of the leaf afterwards in about the same place it stood, it was fairly high up so wasn't an easy job.

Any ideas? These were big!