Grey-backed Mining Bee

Appearance

"A. vaga" is a large mining bee, 13-15mm in length, which has the entire thorax clothed in grey hairs, sometimes showing a slight buff tinge, the scopae and hind have white hairs. It also has patches of white hairs on the abdomen sides. On closer examination the surface of the cuticle can be seen to be shiny metallic black. The face is covered with brownish hairs It resembles the ashy mining bee. Males have the entire upper surface of the thorax covered in grey hair and pale hair on the hind tibia. When it can be seen, sternite 8 will show a downwards curve at its tip. The males have the sides and top of the face coloured white, with the bottom having long white hairs, it has long mandibles and rounded cheeks.

Distribution

"A. vaga" is found in Europe as far north as 66°N, although it is found only in southern Scandinavia, east to Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In Great Britain, "A. vaga" was only known from only four records prior to 2009, almost all from south-east England, with the latest being in 1946, then in the 21st century it was recorded again in south-eastern England, in Kent and Hampshire, where they were recorded as breeding, and the species was recorded as moving to inland sites from the coast, suggesting that it was spreading.

Behavior

"A. vaga" is univoltine, the adults are on the wing in early Spring, during March and April, sometimes as early as late February in more southerly warmer regions. They are oligolectic and feed on and collect the pollen from willow trees of the genus "Salix". Where it is common "A. vaga" often forms large nest aggregations which may have as many as 10,000 nests. The nests are excavated in rather hard ground, often where there is sparse vegetation and where the substrate has either and even or sloping surface; the female excavated a vertical nest burrow. These are often located in sites which are subject to flooding and floods can have a significant impact on the populations of this species.

In mainland Europe the cuckoo-bee "Nomada lathburiana" is a cleptoparasite of "A. vaga". "Sphecodes gibbus" has been suggested as another cleptoparasite of this species but that is regarded as unlikely. The strepsipteran "Stylops melittae" has been recorded as a parasitoid of "A. vaga".

Habitat

"A. vaga" occurs in pastures and meadows, often near water, as well as heathland and woody gladesand coastal areas with loose soil, always in the vicinity of various species of willows.