Yellow-tie furrow bee

Yellow-tie furrow bee
Yellow-bonded furrow bee ( Halictus scabiosae ), female
Systematics
Superfamily : Apoidea Family : Narrow and furrow bees (Halictidae) Subfamily : Halictinae Tribe : Halictini Genre : Halictus Type : Yellow-tie furrow bee
Scientific name
Halictus scabiosae
( Rossi , 1790)

male

Females at the nest entrance

The yellow-bonded furrow bee ( Halictus scabiosae ) is a species of bee from the genus Halictus within the family of Halictidae (narrow and furrow bees). The species was named Wild Bee of the Year in 2018 .

features

The bees are roughly the size of honey bees . They are relatively easy to identify using the band pattern on the tergites of their abdomen . The males are slimmer than the females. The black bands on tergites 2 to 4 of the females are each lined with a light brown band at the front and a yellow band at the back. The males each have a whitish band on the back of the black bands on tergites 2 to 6. The posterior tibia of the males are almost entirely yellow. This distinguishes them from the males of the related species H. eurygnathus and H. quadricinctus , whose tibia have black spots.

distribution

The species is common in the southern and central parts of Europe. Their occurrence extends from the Mediterranean region including North Africa across Central Europe to Hungary and the Baltic States . The species is absent from Great Britain but is found in the Channel Islands . In the east the distribution area extends over Asia Minor to the Middle East .

Way of life

The bees often create their cave nests as an aggregation. The nests are built both on flat surfaces and on vertical slopes. The soil usually consists of sand or soft rock. The overwintering females appear in April, the adults (both males and females) of the new generation in July. The social behavior of the bee species can be eusocial or communal. The bees visit daisy family (Asteraceae), especially thistles , knapweed and hypochaeris .

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Pietro Rossi in 1790 as Apis scabiosae . Other synonyms are:

• Hylaeus alternans Fabricius , 1793
• Halictus zebrus Walckenaer , 1817
• Halictus griseozonatus Dours , 1872
• Halictus scabiosae powelli Cockerell , 1931

Web links

Commons : Yellow-bonded Furrow Bee ( Halictus scabiosae )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Halictus scabiosae at aramel.free.fr

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The yellow-bonded furrow bee - Always following the sun (PDF, 6.6 MB) www.wildbienen-kataster.de. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Halictus scabiosae (Rossi, 1790) . BWARS - Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Halictus scabiosae at Fauna Europaea. Retrieved August 14, 2018