Tawny mining bee

Rotpelzige sand bee ( Andrena fulva )

The Rotpelzige sand bee ( Andrena fulva ) is a European bee from the genus of sand bee ( Andrena ).

Features

The males are 10 to 12, females 8 to 10 millimeters long. Your body is similar to bumble bees, hairy furry. The hair is chestnut on the back, on the underside and on the legs are black.

Occurrence

The rotpelzige Sandbiene lives in Central Europe, in the East to the Balkan Peninsula in the north to southern Scandinavia. They live in open forests and grasslands, but also in parks and gardens. They fly from March to May and are widely used, but are more likely present at low population densities.

Way of life

The animals fly little picky on a variety of nectar plants. They live in Erdnestern, sometimes in large colonies.

Reproduction

After mating in the spring, the male dies and the female begins to build their nest. Sometimes build several hundred females a few square meters to her nest. In contrast to the honeybee rotpelzige Sandbiene is not states, but each female has her own nest. It is therefore also numbered among the recluse or solitary bees. The nest consists of a 20 to 30 centimeters deep, vertical tube, branch off from the several brood cells. These are filled with nectar and pollen. On the pollen - nectar mixture, called mash, one egg is laid per cell, from which in a few days hatches a larva. The larvae grow rapidly and pupate in a few weeks. The adults emerge after hibernation in the spring.