Rank Species | ||
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Similar Halictus, Halictus sexcinctus, Halictus rubicundus, Halictus quadricinctus, Halictus maculatus | ||
Halictus scabiosae mining bees bowleaze cove dorset england
Halictus scabiosae is a species of bee in the family Halictidae, the sweat bees.
Contents
Halictus scabiosae
Description
The abdomen is long, with yellowish stripes and a double band on tergites two and three. The legs are yellow and antennae are entirely black and curved at the apex. This species looks very similar to a closely related species, Halictus sexcinctus, and thus the two can be easily confused. These two species can be distinguished from one another in that males have longer, reddish antennae, and females lack the basal hair bands on tergites 2-4.
These mining bees nest on the ground in hardened paths. Normally they dig vertical tunnels in the ground, with a circular entrance surrounded by a cone of earth. In most cases a single female of Halictus scabiosae use a single nest, but sometimes they have a primitive social organization, with multiple females reproducing in a common nest. They are used to nest at a particular site in many colonies.
Distribution
This species is present in most of Europe and in North Africa.
