Andrena hattorfiana
Encyclopedia
Andrena hattorfiana is a species of mining bees belonging to the family Andrenidae
subfamily Andreninae
.
They are present in most of Europe
and in the Near East
. They can be encountered from May through August.
The adults grow up to 13–16 mm (0.511811023622047–0.62992125984252 ) long. They have a black-brown body with sparse light hair, while the first and the second abdominal segment are reddish. The females have a pollen basket of curved hairs on the sides of the thorax.
Andrena hattorfiana is an oligoleptic species, feeding its young only on pollen of a few species of Dipsacaceae
(Knautia arvensis
, Scabiosa columbaria, Centaurea
species). It is a solitary bee. The females usually lay eggs in a nest excavated by themselves in sandy soils. In the cells they store the pollen as food for the larvae.
Andrenidae
The family Andrenidae is a large cosmopolitan non-parasitic bee family, with most of the diversity in temperate and/or arid areas , including some truly enormous genera...
subfamily Andreninae
Andreninae
The bee subfamily Andreninae is a nearly cosmopolitan lineage, with most of its diversity in one genus, Andrena, which contains over 1300 species...
.
They are present in most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
. They can be encountered from May through August.
The adults grow up to 13–16 mm (0.511811023622047–0.62992125984252 ) long. They have a black-brown body with sparse light hair, while the first and the second abdominal segment are reddish. The females have a pollen basket of curved hairs on the sides of the thorax.
Andrena hattorfiana is an oligoleptic species, feeding its young only on pollen of a few species of Dipsacaceae
Dipsacaceae
The Dipsacaceae, or teasel family, of the order Dipsacales contains 350 species of perennial or biennial herbs and shrubs in eleven genera. Native to most temperate climates, they are found in Europe, Asia and Africa...
(Knautia arvensis
Knautia arvensis
Knautia arvensis, commonly known as Field Scabious, is a species in the genus Knautia.It is a perennial plant that grows between 25 and 100 cm. It prefers grassy places and dry soils, avoiding heavy soils, and flowers between July and September. The flowered head is flatter than similar...
, Scabiosa columbaria, Centaurea
Centaurea
Centaurea is a genus of between 350 and 600 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding regions are particularly species-rich...
species). It is a solitary bee. The females usually lay eggs in a nest excavated by themselves in sandy soils. In the cells they store the pollen as food for the larvae.