1. DISTRIBUTION
M. leachella[1] is a rare species that can be found mainly at the coast and in the most souther part of the Netherlands [2].
2. BEHAVIOUR
2.1. ACTIVITY
The species is active from May to August [2,3].
2.2. DEVELOPMENT
The female nests in existing cavities, like hollow stems or old bore holes in wood, or she digs a nest herself in sand ground with little growth, like a vertical wall. She covers the nest walls with cut leaves and fills the nest up with sand [4].
2.3. POLLENSOURCES
M. leachella is polylectic and uses the following plants as pollen source [3,4]:
| Legume (Leguminosae) | – Bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) – Common restharrow (Ononis repens) – Spiny restharrow (Ononis spinosa) – Lucerne (Medicago sativa) |
| Resedaceae | – Wild mignonette (Reseda lutea) |
Except for Spiny restharrow all these plants can be found in the garden.
3. PARASITIC RELATIONS
Sharp tailed bees (COELIOXYS) are primary parasites of M. leachella [3,4], they are cleptoparasites.
The following parasites cited in literature can be found in the Netherlands:
| Bees (COELIOXYS) | – C. afra [3,4] – C. elongata [3,4] – C. inermis [3,4] – C. mandibularis [3,4] – C. rufescens [4] |
| Wasps (CHALICIDOIDEA) | – Monodontomerus obsoletus [4] – Melittobia acasta [4] |
I’ve observed Shapr tailed bees twice in the garden, but the species are not clear. In one of the observations it was either a female C. elongata or C. inermis.
4. IDENTIFICATION
The females and males of M. pilidens are difficult M. leachella. For an extensive description of the differences see [5].
♀
1. White scopa [3]
2. Tergite 6 with two felt-like white hair spots [3]
3. Tergite 3 coarser puntated [4] – only difference with M. pilidens which has finer punctation [5]
4. Space between punctation more glossy and about as large as punctation [3].
5. Clypeus very shallow cut out [3]
♂
1. Front tarsus darkbrown to black [3]
2. Front tarsus at most basally a little yellow-white, less heartshaped [5]
– only difference with M. pilidens
3. Coxa frontleg with clear thorn [3]
4. Tergites with white hairbands [3]
5. Tergite 6 entirely or partly with white hairs [3]
6. Femur frontleg hindside yellow coloured until the end
7. Sternite 4 has a hair spot at the end
Literature
1 Nederlands Soortenregister
