Eucera longicornis (Long-horned Bee), Elmley National Nature Reserve,
from Steve Falk
www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/albums/72157633087865547
"A large solitary bee (body length about 13mm) with strikingly long male antennae and two submarginal cells. Females are much more robust than males and have dusting at the sides of tergites 2 and 3 and the hind margin of tergite 4. They are perhaps most likely to be confused with species like Anthophora furcata (three submarginal cells).

Eucera longicornis is one of Britain's most highly declined bees, having disappeared from most of the counties of southern Britain where it was present in the early twentieth century. Today the majority of its few surviving colonies are coastal. with a perhaps a few dozen sites inland, including a few in the Midlands.

A variety of habitats can be exploited including coastal soft-rock cliffs, hay meadow, lightly-grazed pasture, quarries, heathland and woodland rides. It is dependent upon flowering legumes as pollen sources, notably Meadow Vetchling, Kidney vetch, everlasting peas, Vicia vetches and clovers. A variety of other flowers are visited for nectar and males are known to be attracted sexually to Bee Orchid flowers.

Nesting occurs in light soils, especially slopes and banks but nests are not often found. Adults fly mainly from late May to mid July with a peak that varies according to whatever the main forage plant happens to be. Its special cuckoo bee, Nomada sexfasciata, is now seemingly confined to a single E. longicornis colony in South Devon.

A second Eucera species, E. nigrescens, occurred in south-east England historically but has not been seen since 1970 and may now be extinct. See album for that species for distinctions.

Eucera longicornis is a UK BAP Priority species subject to a JNCC action plan:
jncc.defra.gov.uk/_speciespages/2256.pdf

BWARS account:
www.bwars.com/index.php?q=bee/apidae/eucera-longicornis"