Lasioglossum brevicorne (Schenck, 1870)
Distribution
Restricted to light sandy soils principally in south-east England. Also occurs in the Channel Islands. Widespread in central and southern Europe, central Asia eastwards to Afghanistan, and in north Africa.
Status (in Britain only)
Listed as Rare (RDB3) in Shirt (1987) and in Falk (1991).
Habitat
May be found n a variety of open habitats with a slight preference for clay-based or sandy soils, although these need not be acidic. This species has undergone an expansion of range during the past decade or so.
Flight period
Univoltine; May to August, with males present from late July.
Pollen collected
Only found collecting pollen from the flowers of plants of the family Asteraceae (M Edwards and P Westrich, pers.obs.). It is not known whether this is true throughout its entire range.
Nesting biology
Nests in the ground. It is not known whether this is a eusocial species.
Flowers visited
Yellow-flowered Asteraceae.
Parasites
None known in Britain, although Sphecodes puncticeps has been suggested as a cleptoparasite on the continent (Westrich 1989).
Year profile last updated
2002