Species of the Month April 2019

Hairy-footed Flower Bee Anthophora plumipes

One of the earliest emerging solitary bees, the Hairy-footed Flower Bee resembles a small bumblebee. It has a distinctive quick hovering flight, more like a hoverfly or beefly than a bee. The species is sexually dismorphic; the males are ginger brown with cream markings on the face and long hairs on the middle leg (shown in upper photo) and the females are all black with orange back legs (shown in lower photo). Both sexes are often seen feeding on Lungwort, and may approach flowers with their long tongues extended.

We have only 140 records of Hairy-footed Flower Bee at SEWBReC, though the species is likely to be widespread in south Wales. You can view the Welsh distribution of Hairy-footed Flower Bee on Aderyn. More information is available from BWARS and Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

If you spot Hairy-footed Flower Bee during April (or at any other time of year), please send us the record, ideally via SEWBReCORD or the LERC Wales App. Instructions on how to submit records are available here.