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Post by Eristic on Mar 3, 2016 23:25:45 GMT
Over the past week or so I've seen several of these bees in the polytunnel foraging on my Hyacinth flowers. The nearest I can find is Andrena barbilabris or A. bicolor but wonder if the clay soil is unsuitable for these bees. I've not yet had the time or nice enough weather to try to find them outside. Any advice gratefully received. Sorry for the poor photo but it would not stay still for me. Many thanks for looking.  |
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kiml
Junior Member
Posts: 58 
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Post by kiml on Mar 4, 2016 0:36:39 GMT
Hi Eristic
Your bee is a male Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes).
Regards
Kim
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Post by Eristic on Mar 4, 2016 2:25:48 GMT
Thank you so much Kiml. I got that one wrong by a Country Mile. As a matter of interest, will the females visit the bee hotels?
Regards.
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kiml
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by kiml on Mar 4, 2016 14:09:29 GMT
Hi Eristic
It'll be unlikely that the females will use a bee hotel as they prefer to nest in soft mortar and cob in walls. The females which come out a couple of weeks after the males are all black with yellowish to orange haired hind legs.
Regards
Kim
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Post by Eristic on Mar 4, 2016 21:27:18 GMT
Thanks once again for the info. The reason I asked about the bee hotel was because I had one in the tunnel awaiting the fitting of a roof prior to being placed outside for the summer and didn't want to disturb the bee by taking the house away while in the process of making cells inside
This now makes 2 species of solitary bees recorded as resident on my allotment and the search is on now for solitary bee number 3 on site.
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