Sphecodes marginatus von Hagens, 1882

Distribution

This is a Channel Islands species not found in mainland Britain.

It is a mainly Western Palaearctic species known from central and southern Europe, including Sicily and Crete. Also, from North Africa, including the Canary Islands, Morocco and Tunisia, and with limited information for the Arabian peninsula (United Arab Emirates).

Status (in Britain only)

The Channel Islands are, for a number of reasons, excluded from the geographical coverage of the British Red Data book (Shirt, 1987) and the subsequent review (Falk, 1991).

Habitat

In continental Europe, a species of warm, open, sandy habitats, including heathland and sandpits (Bogusch & Straka, 2012).

Flight period

A Channel Islands flight period cannot be defined, due to the lack of data.

Pollen collected

As this bee is a cleptoparasite no pollen is collected.

Nesting biology

A cleptoparasite of mining bees of the genus Lasioglossum. Lasioglossum semilucens (Alfken), L. sexstrigatum (Schenck) and L. punctatissimum (Schenck) are among species considered as putative hosts (Bogusch & Straka, 2012).

Flowers visited

No data available.

Parasites

No data available.

Author of profile

G W Allen.

Year profile last updated

2019