Colletes abeillei
Colletes abeillei, also known as Abeille's cellophane bee, is a species of bee belonging to the subfamily Colletinae. It is native all throughout the Western Mediterranean. It prefers flowers of the Cistus genus and various flower species of the Apiaceae family.
Distribution
This species is distributed across the western Mediterranean Sea. Warm, flower-rich habitats including pasture, coastal dunes, woodland edges, maquis, field margins and scrub. Regions in its range include the western Italian coast, Sicily, southern France, Spain, Portugal, the Balearic Islands, and Morocco.
Description
It is a medium-sized species with an appearance and distribution similar to Colletes fodiens. The females of this species possess a dense covering of pale buffish thoracic hairs and broad off-white abdominal bands. Males possess a somewhat thinner abdominal bands and greyer thoracic hairs.