Long Horned Bee

Apidae cuckoo carpenter digger bumble and honey bees in the order hymenoptera ants bees wasps description.

Long horned bee. The long horned bee is one of the largest uk solitary bees. Many have yellow faces. The eucerini often called long horned bees are the most diverse tribe in the family apidae with over 32 genera worldwide that were previously classified as members of the family anthophoridae. Long horned bees get their name from the males unmistakable and unusually long antennae.

Although solitary the long horned bee nests in colonies close to it s preferred habitat of legumes. Dear dirk this is a male longhorned bee in the tribe eucerini and we haven t the necessary skills to taxonomically identify it further. Hairy bees typically with pale hair bands on the metasoma. Some have thick legs that might be colored orange red or yellow depending on the pollen grains sticking to them.

Males in the genus melissodeshave yellow faces and long antennae which explains why this genus is part of the long horned bee family. Longhorn bees are named for their long antennae which make these fuzzy medium sized bees look rather cute. Next time you are in the garden look out for the antennas for these bees and know you ve got some long horned bees in your midst. Males typically have very long antennae.

Males like these two melissodes agilis can be found feeding and sleeping along the ege of flowers like this false sunflower. All species are solitary though many nest in large aggregations and large sleeping aggregations of males are found occasionally. Long horned bees comprise the bee tribe called eucerini and have unusually long antennae hence the name long horned. These little buzzers put their additions to good use when it comes to collecting pollen and make themselves more distinctive than the rest.

Sadly this species has declined significantly across britain and is now absent from many of the southern counties it used to be found in. Ideally nesting in soft cleared ground and especially fond of soft chalk cliffs. The male is easily identified by the long antennea that give it it s name. Long horned bees are named for the extra long antennae found on the males.

There are over 100 different species. Some are almost completely covered in hair. Eucerini serve as essential pollinators for multi million dollar crop industries. The long horned bee is unique with their added antennas to the bodies.

These bees are represented in north america by 120 species. As a result it is considered a uk priority species. The female carries pollen on the long hairs of her hind leg s called scopa. You can see the pollen she has collected packed onto hairs called scopae on her hind legs.

According to bugguide they are.