Anthophora These Are Large Bees with a Very Active Darting Fight, Often Hovering, with a Round Shape and a Long Tongue
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Anthophora These are large bees with a very active darting fight, often hovering, with a round shape and a long tongue. Flowers with a deep corolla are often used as a nectar source and pollen is collected on the hind tibiae. The forewings have three sub-marginal cells and the hair is long, giving a resemblance to a small bumblebee. The males of some species have distinctive hairs on their legs. There are white or yellow markings on the face in one or both sexes, and there is considerable sexual dimorphism. Large nesting aggregations can occur in soft cliffs or mortar, though some species nest in stems or wood. They are parasitised by bees in the genera Melecta and Coelioxys. There are five UK species, all recorded in Norfolk, but one now extinct. Anthophora bimaculata Anthophora bimaculata Females This is the only British Anthophora in 4 which the female as well as the male has yellow facial markings. These form a band at 3 the base of the clypeus with a narrow upward 2 extension, and the mandibles are also yellow. 1 The eyes are large and pale green and the 0 tongue is fairly long. The thorax has a mixture 9 of brown and black hairs with paler hairs 2000 – 2014 8 1980 – 1999 Pre 1980 under the wings. There are long white pollen 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 hairs on the hind tibia and white bands on the Habitat Brecks grassland, heathland and tergites. It is the smallest British member of commons. the genus. Males resemble females but have more extensive pale markings on the face. Flowers visited No Norfolk information. The scape is also pale beneath. Polylectic (BWARS). Nesting No Norfolk information. Often nests on sloping exposed earth in large aggregations (BWARS). Parasites Coelioxys rufescens and possibly other Coelioxys spp. (BWARS). Anthophora bimaculata female (worn), Essex 2015 (Ted Benton) Flight times July – August. Distribution Recorded in the Brecks in the Santon Downham area 2011 (TS). Isolated records come from Roydon Common 1996 (MEA), Sheringham 2001 (KD), West Harling 1991 (KD) with a probable sight record from Norwich 2010 (TS). Anthophora furcata Distribution Mostly recorded around Females have a covering of ginger-brown hair Norwich, the Brecks and the Kelling Heath with similar coloured tibial hairs. There are area, probably reflecting observer effort. black hairs on the top of the head and a mix of black and brown on the upper thorax. The Anthophora furcata hair on the face and the tip of the abdomen is reddish. The abdomen has long hair but no 4 clear hair bands. The eyes are dark. Males 3 have similar hair colour to females. The face 2 and labrum have a large pale yellow area. The 1 abdomen can look banded when worn. 0 9 2000 – 2014 8 1980 – 1999 Pre 1980 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 Habitat Associated with light soils, including coastal sites, Breckland and chalk grassland. Flowers visited Black Horehound, Foxglove, Lavender, Marsh Woundwort, Sage, Spear Thistle, White Deadnettle. Nesting No Norfolk information. Excavates holes in rotting wood (BWARS). It will also occupy stems in ‘bee hotels’. Parasites Coelioxys quadridentata and C. rufescens (BWARS). Anthophora furcata female on Spear Thistle st and garden bellflower, Weybourne 31 July 2011. Flight times Late May – early October. Anthophora plumipes Hairy-footed Flower Flight times March – early June. Bee. Females have black hair except for the hind Distribution Abundant and widespread but tibia and tarsus which have orange hairs. The not recorded in the Brecks area. tongue is very long in both sexes. Males are Anthophora plumipes largely ginger-brown and are often mistaken 4 for carder bumblebees. They have a large area 3 of pale yellow on the long face and a pale yellow marking beneath the antennal scape. 2 They have long hairs on the hind tibia, giving 1 the species its common name. 0 9 2000 – 2014 8 1980 – 1999 Pre 1980 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 Habitat Gardens, hedge banks, churchyards, commons, river valleys, cliffs, dunes, woodland rides. Flowers visited Bluebell, Comfrey, flowering Currant, Red Deadnettle, White Deadnettle, Ground Ivy, garden Heather, Hellebore, Lungwort, garden Prunus, Cherry Plum, Primrose, Rosemary, Anthophora plumipes female on Daphne, Nesting Nest in aggregations, sometimes in Weybourne 22nd March 2016. thousands, in the walls of buildings and on cliffs. Nesting aggregation on Weybourne cliff 6th May 2010. Old nest cells (right). Parasites The bee Melecta albifrons is a common cleptoparasite. Anthophora plumipes male on Grape Hyacinth. Weybourne 22nd March 2011. Anthophora quadrimaculata Anthophora retusa Females have brown hair and pale bands on Females are black and closely resemble the tergites, narrower than in A. bimaculata. females of A. plumipes. Males are brown and There are no pale markings on the face. Males smaller and slimmer than A. plumipes and are similar, with a covering of hair on T1 and lackingthe very long hairs on the legs. The bands of long hair on the remaining tergites. pale markings on the face are less extensive. The face has a large pale area broken by a pair of dark triangular markings. Flight times April – June (BWARS) Flight times July – September. Distribution There is only one Norfolk record, from Norwich in the late 1800s (Bridgman). Distribution Recorded in a Norwich garden This species is now very rare nationally. September 1982 (AGI) and on Gorleston Cliff July 2015 (TS). Habitat Sandy soils including the coast Anthophora quadrimaculata (BWARS) 4 Flowers visited Polylectic (BWARS). 3 2 Nesting Nest in the ground (BWARS). 1 Parasites Melecta luctuosa which may be 0 extinct in the British Isles (BWARS) 9 2000 – 2014 8 1980 – 1999 Pre 1980 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 Habitat Gardens, soft cliffs. Flowers visited No records. Polylectic (BWARS). Nesting Observed entering a hole on the cliff face at Gorleston loaded with yellow pollen (TS). Known to nest in small aggregations (BWARS). Parasites None reported (BWARS). .