Photo: Arthur Gelling / CC BY

Andrena labiata

Red-girdled Mining Bee

A striking small mining bee (7–9 mm) with the abdomen predominantly bright red: tergites 2 and 3 and part of tergite 4 are red, with tergite 2 having a lateral black spot. The thorax has sparse brownish hair. It is a generalist (polylectic) forager visiting flowers from at least 7 plant families including Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae. It nests solitarily in self-excavated burrows in sparsely vegetated soil in dry meadows, warm forest edges, field margins, and occasionally parks and gardens. It is univoltine, flying from April to June. In Switzerland it is widespread but local, found in warm lowland and colline zones. It is parasitised by the cuckoo bee Nomada guttulata. Swiss Red List: Least Concern (LC).