Andrena lepida Schenck,1861
Description and notes
This medium-sized Andrena is very similar to the common A. dorsata (Kirby), but has only been recorded three times in Britain, between 1931 and 1951. Records come from Berkshire and Dorset. Despite examining many A. dorsata over forty years the author has not managed to add anything to these records, although he suspects it was this species he filmed visiting oil-seed rape in Hungary during 2012.
Distribution
Southern England.
It is widespread in Southern and Central Europe.
Status (in Britain only)
This species is listed in Shirt (1987) and Falk (1991) as Endangered (RDB1).
Habitat
All known British records come from areas of calcareous soils.
Flight period
Bivoltine; late March to May, and July to August.
Pollen collected
Polylectic.
Nesting biology
Nests are solitary, in the ground, but further details of its nesting biology are not available.
Flowers visited
It is known to visit the flowers of Brassicaceae, Rosaceae and Apiaceae.
Parasites
No data available.