Photo: AJC1 / CC BY-SA 2.0
Melecta albifrons
Common Mourning Bee
A striking cuckoo bee with a jet-black body and two distinctive cream-beige patches on each side of the abdomen. The head and thorax have brownish-yellow hair, and the wings are dark-tinted. It has no pollen-collecting apparatus, as it lays its eggs in the nests of Anthophora plumipes. In Switzerland it follows its host in gardens, parks, and warm slopes with loess walls. Swiss Red List: Least Concern (LC).
Species Facts
- Size
- 12-15 mm
- Flight Period
- April to June
- Nesting
- Brood parasite
- Specialization
- Brood parasite
- Abundance
- Uncommon
- Family
- Apidae
External Sources
This data has been cross-referenced with national sources:
Data Source & Copyright
| Category | Source / Author | License |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | AJC1 | CC BY-SA 2.0 |
| Taxonomy & Distribution | InfoFauna Switzerland | Public data |
| Global Distribution | GBIF | CC BY 4.0 |
Data Quality
High Quality Last audit: 2026-05-22
Completeness: 100%
✓Photo exists✓Traits consistent✓Description quality✓Red List referenced✓Attribution verified
Confidence: 83%
IdentifiabilityHighImage confidenceMediumImage qualityHighTrait coherenceHigh
