Keys and general biology are found in Sladen (1912), Free & Butler (1959), Alford (1975) and Prŷs-Jones & Corbet (1991). This species is very closely related to Bombus muscorum but is more southerly in its distribution. B. humilis has undergone a major decline in its distribution, with most remaining populations being on extensive, although sometimes narrow, areas of coastal grasslands. This decline seems to be closely linked to the intensification of farming.

Keys and general biology are found in Sladen (1912), Free & Butler (1959), Alford (1975) and Prŷs-Jones & Corbet (1991). This species is very closely related to the more northerly distributed B. distinguendus and males of the two species can be extremely hard to separate. In Scandinavia it is strongly associated with red clover (Løken 1973). Sladen (1912) also comments upon its close association with this plant.

One of the larger halictine bees of the British Isles, the male has a distinctive blood-red tip to the abdomen. Identification keys and general information are given in Perkins, R C L (1922).

This species is commonly listed under the name Nomada xanthosticta (Kirby, 1802) in the British literature (the species name is now treated as a junior synonym of Nomada ferruginata (Linnaeus, 1767)).

One of three brown and black-haired Osmia bees (O. inermis, O. parietina and O. uncinata) with an arctic-alpine distribution. Saunders (1896) does not distinguish between these three species.

Andrena praecox and A. apicata comprise a closely related species-pair, individuals of which can be difficult to identify (especially with respect to females). In some sites, both species fly together.

This species is one of the first bees to appear in the spring, with individuals regularly found in early March in southern England. Andrena praecox (Scopoli) frequently flies with this species. As with most of these early species, foraging flights are made almost exclusively to sallow catkins.

Bees of the genus Colletes, in common with those of the genus Hylaeus, are readily identified by their short, bifid tongues. They look superficially similar to many of the Andrena bees. Some species specialise on pollen from a specific plant or closely related group of plants (oligolectic). Identification keys and general information are given in Guichard (1974).

Workers of this species look superficially like the common black garden ant Lasius niger, but can be distinguished in the field by their behaviour when disturbed. On warm days the small black workers (2.6-4.2 mm) dart around very quickly and aggressively with their gasters slightly raised. Under magnification they completely lack the standing body and appendage hairs of L. niger, the petiole node is also inconspicuous and overhung by the first gastral segment also workers and gynes lack a conical hair-fringed acidopore at the tip of the gaster (instead there is a simple… Read more