Photo: Pjt56 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Halictus simplex

Common Furrow Bee

A medium-sized sweat bee (9–11 mm) with distinct white hair bands on the abdomen tergites. It nests in self-excavated burrows in the ground, often forming small aggregations, and sometimes multiple females share a common nest entrance. It is polylectic and visits flowers from many families, particularly Asteraceae and Dipsacaceae. The females overwinter after emerging in July and start nesting the following spring. Swiss Red List: Least Concern (LC).