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Cuckoo Bee Melecta albifrons
e6filmuser
Registered Users Posts: 3,378 Major grins
This species is a cuckoo bee of the Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes. The female M. albifrons goes into an Anthophora burrow and lays its egg, on the cell wall, alongside the pollen food supply gathered by Anthophora and the host’s egg. When the Melecta albifrons egg hatches the larva first kills the host egg then feeds on the food suppiy intended for the Anthophora larva, pupates and emerges next year instead of the host.
The male has more abundant white hair than does the female.
http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/melecta-albifrons
Also:
A comprehensive guide to INSECTS OF BRITAIN & IRELAND by Paul D Brock, Pices publications ISBN 978-1-874357-58-2 (A bok I use a great deal).
EM-1 (manual mode), Kiron 105mm f16, twin flash, hand-held.
Most images cropped by ca 50%.
The currant flowers are 1cm diameter.
Harold
The male has more abundant white hair than does the female.
http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/melecta-albifrons
Also:
A comprehensive guide to INSECTS OF BRITAIN & IRELAND by Paul D Brock, Pices publications ISBN 978-1-874357-58-2 (A bok I use a great deal).
EM-1 (manual mode), Kiron 105mm f16, twin flash, hand-held.
Most images cropped by ca 50%.
The currant flowers are 1cm diameter.
Harold
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Brian v.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
Thanks, Brian.
Next sunny day? This is the season. I don't recall seeing these in my garden before.
It seems I may have some images of the hosts, which seem only to appear briefly in the spring. I must look into this further.
On checking, the small black "Bumble Bees". which always seem to have yellow pollen loads on the hind legs must be the host female (all shiny black apart from those yellow markings). The male is gingery, with banding on the abdomen, and no white hairs.
Harold
Thanks, SB.
Harold