- Lifespan
- Adults live for several weeks to a few months; females may overwinter and emerge the following spring
- Size & Weight
- 12–13 mm in length
- Habitat
- Open, sunny areas with bare or sparsely vegetated ground, including gardens, parks, heathland, and sandy slopes where females can excavate burrows.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; widespread and resident, with populations emerging in early spring.
- Diet
- Adults feed on pollen and nectar from spring flowers such as pussy willow, hawthorn, and fruit tree blossoms.
- Predators
- Robber flies, some spider species, and parasitic wasps; larvae are vulnerable to ground-dwelling predators.
- Mating Season
- March to May
- Breeding
- Females are solitary miners, each excavating individual burrows in bare ground and laying 6–12 eggs per season; single brood per year.
- Behaviour
- Females are solitary miners that dig vertical burrows up to 60 cm deep in bare soil, provisioning each cell with pollen and nectar for their larvae. Males emerge slightly earlier than females and spend time patrolling and mating. This species is one of the earliest-emerging bees in the UK, often appearing in late February or March.