Anthophora plumipes
Encyclopedia
Anthophora plumipes is a species of bees belonging to the family Apidae
subfamily Apinae
tribus Anthophorini
.
They are present in most of Europe
, in the Near East
and in North Africa
.
The adults grow up to 13–15 mm (0.511811023622047–0.590551181102362 ) long and can be encountered from March to June, feeding and collecting pollen and nectar on early flowering plants, mainly on (Primulaceae
species (Primula veris
, Primula acaulis, etc.), Boraginaceae
species (Pulmonaria officinalis
, Borago officinalis, etc), Lamiaceae
species (Lamium purpureum) and Fumariaceae
(Corydalis sp.).
The body is densely hairy, gray in males and black or brown in females. The middle legs of males are very elongated with long tufts of black hairs on the tarsi (hence the Latin word plumipes), facilitating the collection and transport of pollen.
These solitary bees do not build colonies. The females usually lay eggs in a nest equipped with cells excavated by themselves in clay slopes and steep walls of mud. In the cells they store a supply of pollen and nectar as food for the larvae.
Apidae
The Apidae are a large family of bees, comprising the common honey bees, stingless bees , carpenter bees, orchid bees, cuckoo bees, bumblebees, and various other less well-known groups...
subfamily Apinae
Apinae
The Apinae is the subfamily that includes the majority of bees in the family Apidae, including the familiar "corbiculate" bees , plus all but two of the groups that were previously classified in the family Anthophoridae...
tribus Anthophorini
Anthophorini
The Anthophorini is a large tribe in the family Apidae, with over 750 species worldwide that were previously classified in the family Anthophoridae; the vast majority of species are in the genera Amegilla and Anthophora. All species are solitary, though many nest in large aggregations...
.
They are present in most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, in the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
and in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
The adults grow up to 13–15 mm (0.511811023622047–0.590551181102362 ) long and can be encountered from March to June, feeding and collecting pollen and nectar on early flowering plants, mainly on (Primulaceae
Primulaceae
Primulaceae is a family of flowering plants with about 24 genera, including some favorite garden plants and wildflowers. It is also known as the primrose family.- Genera :...
species (Primula veris
Primula veris
Primula veris is a flowering plant in the genus Primula. The species is found throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland and Orkney.-Names:The common name cowslip derives...
, Primula acaulis, etc.), Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
species (Pulmonaria officinalis
Pulmonaria officinalis
Pulmonaria officinalis, common name Lungwort or Common Lungwort, is an herbaceous evergreen perennial rhizomatous plant of the genus Pulmonaria, belonging to the family Boraginaceae-Etymology:...
, Borago officinalis, etc), Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
species (Lamium purpureum) and Fumariaceae
Fumariaceae
Fumariaceae is a family of about 575 species of herbaceous plants in 20 genera, native to the Northern Hemisphere and South Africa.-Flower shape:Plants in the fumitory family are easily recognised by their peculiar flowers with two dissimilar pairs of...
(Corydalis sp.).
The body is densely hairy, gray in males and black or brown in females. The middle legs of males are very elongated with long tufts of black hairs on the tarsi (hence the Latin word plumipes), facilitating the collection and transport of pollen.
These solitary bees do not build colonies. The females usually lay eggs in a nest equipped with cells excavated by themselves in clay slopes and steep walls of mud. In the cells they store a supply of pollen and nectar as food for the larvae.