White-lipped Blood Bee (lat. Sphecodes albilabris)

White-lipped Blood Bee
White-lipped Blood Bee

Description

The length of the bee is 11–14 mm.

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White-lipped Blood Bee

Range

This species shows a transpalaearctic distribution. It occurs in North Africa from Morocco to Egypt. In Eurasia it occurs from Portugal via Europe, Asia Minor, Levant, Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberia to the Pacific coast of the Far East, reaches the oriental fauna region in northwest India (Uttar Pradesh); north to 60 ° N in Norway (Hønefoss), 62.5 ° N in Sweden (Västernorrland), 63.5 ° N in Finland (North Karelia), in Russia to Karelia and

Kirov; south to Sicily, Crete, Cyprus and Israel. The ssp. rubripes SPINOLA, 1838 occurs in North Africa, Levante, Iberia including the Balearic Islands, Sardinia and Cyprus.

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White-lipped Blood Bee

Habitat

Inland dunes, drifting sand fields, sand pits, grasslands, flood dams, mainly in sand but also loess areas. From the lowlands to the montane elevation.

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White-lipped Blood Bee

Ecology

It flies from March to October. Females are flying from March to August, males from July to October. The larvae of this species are parasites of Colletes cunicularius. The species was also observed in the nests of Halictus sexcinctus, Halictus quadricinctus and Melitturga clavicornis.

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White-lipped Blood Bee

Etymology

From Latin "albus" = "white" and "labrum" = "lip"; because of the snow-white hairy lower half of the face of the male.

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White-lipped Blood Bee

Taxonomy

Synonyms: Sphecodes fuscipennis (GERMAR, 1819)

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White-lipped Blood Bee

External links

Wildebijen.nl (in Dutch) Sphecodes albilabris at Fauna Europaea

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This is not intended to be a dry lexicon. Personal stories and sensitive articles form the framework for our pictures: „Fabulously red against clichés“ There are many prejudices about insects. Bernd, the fire bug says "Don't believe everything you hear!"

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Fabulously red against clichés