Red-thighed epeolus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-thighed epeolus |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Epeolus |
| Species: |
E. cruciger
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| Binomial name | |
| Epeolus cruciger (Panzer, 1799)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Red-thighed Epeolus (Epeolus cruciger) is a type of cuckoo bee. It belongs to the Apidae family, which includes many bees. This bee is found only in Europe. It mostly lays its eggs in the nests of another bee called the common colletes (Colletes succintus). Sometimes, it might use other Colletes mining bees too.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Epeolus cruciger is a small bee. Female bees have a reddish part on their back called the scutellum. Their legs are usually all red. The underside of their body (fifth sternite) looks straight from the side. From below, it is wider than it is long. Their abdomen, or belly, is almost completely reddish.
Male bees have a dark scutellum. They usually have a reddish tip on their abdomen (pygidium). Their abdomen is black. It has large, white patches of flat hair on each side. These bees are about 6 to 8 millimeters long.
Where Does It Live?
The Red-thighed Epeolus lives in southern and central Europe. It can be found as far north as Finland. This bee is thought to be found only in Europe.
In Britain, it is common in the south. It becomes harder to find further north. There is one old record and a newer confirmed sighting in Scotland. Both were in Ayrshire. This bee is not found in Ireland. In the Netherlands, it lives in coastal sand dunes. A group found in 2006 near Delft did not last long. However, in Belgium, these bees have been seen since the 1950s.
Its Home and Habitat
The Epeolus cruciger lives in different places. These include inland heaths, moorland, sand dunes, sandpits, and cliffs near the sea. Its main host, the common colletes bee, eats mostly ling (Calluna vulgaris). So, this plant is very important for the Epeolus cruciger to survive.
Life Cycle and Behavior
The Epeolus cruciger has one generation per year. This means it is univoltine. They fly from late June to late September. This bee is a cuckoo bee. This means it does not build its own nest. Instead, it lays its eggs in the nests of other bees. Its main host is the common colletes (Colletes succintus). Other Colletes species might also be hosts, but this is not fully confirmed.
Adult Epeolus cruciger bees drink nectar from various flowers. These include clover (Trifolium spp.), hawkbits (Leontodon sp.), ling (Calluna vulgaris), mint (Mentha), ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), sheep's-bit (Jasione montana), and tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). There are no known parasites or predators for this bee.
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Conservation Status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature says Epeolus cruciger is "near threatened." This means it could become threatened in the future. However, in Great Britain, it is not considered rare or in danger. In the Netherlands, its population is stable and not threatened. But in Germany, it is on the national red list as Category V, which means it is a species of concern.
How Scientists Classify It
Scientists think that Epeolus cruciger might actually be several different species. One group is smaller and flies earlier in the year. This group uses Colletes marginatus as a host. This host bee might also be its own separate species, Epeolus marginatus.
There is also a group in northern Italy. This group uses the ivy bee (Colletes hederae) as a host. The ivy bee is very similar to C. succintus. This Italian group of Epeolus cruciger has stayed in one area. This area is thought to be where they survived during the ice ages. Meanwhile, their host, the ivy bee, has spread across Europe. It can now be found from southern England to Cyprus.
 | Aurelia Browder |
 | Nannie Helen Burroughs |
 | Michelle Alexander |
