Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland

PREFACE / INTRODUCTION / What is a bee? / Classification of bees / At-a-glance guide to bee genera / Species, races, forms and variations / The life cycle of bees / Enemies and associates of bees / Habitats of bees / Field techniques for finding and recording bees / Conserving bees / Societies and recording groups / Bees beyond Britain and Ireland / FURTHER READING / HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE / Dichotomous keys / Format of the species accounts / The colour plates / Male or female? / Is it a bee? / Bee anatomy / GLOSSARY / Author’s web feature / KEY TO BEE GENERA / FAMILY COLLETIDAE / Colletes – Plasterer bees / Hylaeus – Yellow-face bees / FAMILY ANDRENIDAE / Andrena – Mining bees / Panurgus – Shaggy bees / FAMILY HALICTIDAE / Halictus – End-banded furrow bees / Lasioglossum – Base-banded furrow bees / Sphecodes – Blood bees / Rophites – Bristle-headed bees / Dufourea – Short-faced bees / COLOUR PLATES / FAMILY MELITTIDAE / Melitta – Blunthorn bees / Macropis – Oil-collecting bees / Dasypoda – Pantaloon bees / FAMILY MEGACHILIDAE / Anthidium – Wool carders / Stelis – Dark bees / Heriades – Resin bees / Chelostoma – Scissor bees / Osmia – Mason bees / Hoplitis – Lesser masons / Megachile – Leafcutter and mud bees / Coelioxys – Sharp-tail bees / FAMILY APIDAE / Nomada – Nomad bees / Epeolus – Variegated cuckoo bees / Eucera – Long-horned bees / Anthophora – Flower bees / Melecta – Mourning bees / Ceratina – Small carpenter bees / Xylocopa – Large carpenter bees / Bombus – Bumblebees / Apis – Honey bees / CHECKLIST OF THE BEES OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND / INDEX / PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS