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Bees - Family Apidae

Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum (Scopoli, 1763)

Cambridge, Bramblefields (TL472606), 3 Jun 2014 Easily recognised by the combination of ginger thorax and white tail Only appeared in Britain in 2001 but already wide-spread Enlarged photograph NBN Atlas

Bombus lapidarius (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cambridge, garden, 24 Mar 2002 Enlarged photograph NBN Atlas

Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum (Scopoli, 1763)

Cambridge, garden, 31 May 2014 Enlarged photograph NBN Atlas

Bombus pratorum (Linnaeus, 1761)

Cambridge, garden, 17 Mar 2002 Enlarged photograph NBN Atlas

Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cambridge, garden, 1 Jun 2014 NBN Atlas

Bombus vestalis (Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785)

Cambridge, garden, 28 Jul 2001; male A cuckoo bee, parasitic (in Britain) on B. terrestris Synonym: Psithyrus vestalis NBN Atlas

Anthophora plumipes (Pallas, 1772)

• Cambridge, garden, m (left) 31 Mar 2002, f (right) 18 May 2002
  
• Aptly called the "Hairy-footed Flower-bee" in English and Latin, the male has plumes of hair on the mid tarsi.
  
• NBN Atlas

Hylaeus confusus Nylander, 1852

Cambridge, garden, 17 June 2016 Very similar to H. incongruus, but that is confined to extreme southern England. Females are mostly found on umbellifers and brambles. NBN Atlas

Common Mourning Bee Melecta albifrons (Forster, 1771)

Cambridge, garden, 19 April 2017 A cleptoparasite on Anthophora plumipes (see above). Distinctive "collar" of grey hairs, with white spots on abdomen and patches on the sides (not visible in this photo). Melanic examples also occur. NBN Atlas

Nomada flava Panzer, 1798

Cambridge, garden, 8 May 2001 A cleptoparasitic (cuckoo) bee. NBN Atlas

Nomada flavoguttata (Kirby, 1802)

Cambridge, Coldhams Common, 10 Jun 2016 Small bee whose larvae are brood parasites of small Andrena species. White patches at rear of thorax are hidden by the wings in this photo. NBN Atlas

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