Andrena marginata

Andrena marginata, sometimes called the small scabious mining bee is a species of the sand bee genus.

Distribution and habitat

This species is present in most of Europe and in the East Palaearctic. It can mainly be found in acidic or calcareous grasslands, moors, heaths, moorland edges and woodland, where Devil's-bit scabious plants occur.

Description

Andrena marginata can reach a body length of about. The basic body color of these medium-sized mining bees is black or dark brown. In the males the dark color is widespread on the hind body, only the second and third tergites are partially orange colored. They are slimmer, with denser body hairs than the female. The male shows a yellowish-white mouth shield.
The females of A. marginata occur in different colour forms. Usually the females have strongly hairs and a special pollen basket on hind legs. Moreover, in the females the hind body lacks hairs and they are black only on the first tergite, while other tergites are orange colored. Some females are predominantly orange. However more or less completely black or dark individuals can be found in both sexes.

Biology

Andrena marginata is an univoltine species. Adults of these solitary bees fly between mid July to late September. They are oligolectic on late flowering scabious flowers. They feed on different nectar-bearing plants of the family Dipsacaceae, like field scabious, Small scabious and Devil's-bit scabious, though they have also been observed foraging on knapweed, bramble, meadowsweet, willowherb, nipplewort and creeping thistle. The female builds a nest in the ground and fills the cells with a mixture of nectar and pollen. One egg is placed in each cell and the larva hatches, grow and pupates within the nest. The adults emerge in spring after hibernation.