Andrena falsifica Perkins, 1915
Distribution
Southern England; there is a single record from North-east Yorkshire (Whitby, 13 May 1924 (Keighly Museum) (Archer, 1998)). This small bee is very local, rare and easily overlooked.
The range extends throughout Europe and west Asia; southern Scandinavia to Spain and Italy and east to Transcaucasus (Gusenleitner & Schwarz, 2002).
Status (in Britain only)
This species is listed as Nationally Notable/Na (now known as Nationally Scarce) (Falk, 1991).
Habitat
Imperfectly known though many records are from heaths and moors.
Flight period
Apparently univoltine; March or April to late June and early July.
Pollen collected
Probably polylectic (Westrich, 1989) but sources are not known.
Nesting biology
Details not known although it has been reported to nest solitarily (Kocourek, 1966; Dylewska, 1987; Westrich, 1989).
Flowers visited
Cinquefoil, wild strawberry, a speedwell, daisy.
Parasites
Nomada flavoguttata (Kirby) has been recorded as a cleptoparasite of this species. Individuals are occasionally stylopised by an unknown Stylops species (Strepsiptera).
Year profile last updated
2016