Hairy-Footed Flower Bee

Fascinating facts about the Hairy-Footed Flower Bee

• The hairy-footed flower bee occupies a vast swathe of the Old World, occurring throughout most of Europe and across Asia. Its range extends from the western edge of Britain all the way to China and Japan, and also includes the Near East and the northern reaches of Africa. In the twentieth century humans introduced the species to the United States, showing its ability to establish beyond its native lands.
• The first confirmed Irish record of the hairy-footed flower bee came in April 2022.
• Female hairy-footed flower bees are solitary nesters that excavate tunnels in clay slopes and steep mud walls, creating a series of individual cells. Each cell is provisioned with a mixture of pollen and nectar to sustain the developing larva, and the female deposits a single egg directly on the pollen mass. This nesting habit is typical of a univoltine species that is active from March to June, when the bees forage on early-flowering plants.
• Adult hairy-footed flower bees reach a length of 13-15 mm, making them small but noticeable insects. Their bodies are densely covered in hair, a trait shared by both sexes, though males often display bright reddish-brown or grey hair while females tend to be all black or dark brown. Males are further distinguished by very elongated middle legs and long hairs on the mid-tarsi, features that aid in their courtship displays.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Hairy-Footed Flower Bee

In the warm, golden light of a spring morning, the hairy-footed flower bee stirs to life, its velvety fur fluffed against the chill as it sets out to dance among the blossoms. With a blur of iridescent wings, it darts from petal to petal, collecting nectar with reckless abandon, its very existence a testament to the beauty of unbridled industry. As it moves, the gentle hum of its wings weaves a soothing melody, a symphony of life that underscores the simple, unassuming majesty of this diminutive, yet remarkable, creature.

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