Natural History Photographs


Wasps & Bees
Andrena bicolor
Authority:Fabricius, 1775
Nederlands:Tweekleurige zandbij
English:Gwynne's mining bee
Deutsch:Zweifarbige Sandbiene
Amstelveen; 21 March 2009. Male feeding at Coltsfood (Tussilago farfara).
Andrena
cf. subopaca
Authority:Nylander, 1848
Nederlands:Witkopdwergzandbij
English:Impunctate mini-miner
Deutsch:Glanzlose Zwergsandbiene
Amstelveen; 21 March 2009.
Lasioglossum
cf. calceatum
Authority:(Scopoli, 1763)
Nederlands:Gewone geurgroefbij
English:Common furrow bee
Deutsch:Gewöhnliche Schmalbiene
Amstelveen; 21 March 2009.
Osmia rufa
Amstelveen; 21 - 22 March 2009.
Male feeding at Coltsfood (Tussilago farfara).
Andrena fulva
Authority:(Müller, 1766)
Nederlands:Vosje
English:Tawny mining bee
Deutsch:Fuchsrote Lockensandbiene
Amstelveen; 31 March 2009. Male feeding at Willow catkins (Salix spec).
Andrena flavipes
Authority:Panzer, 1799
Nederlands:Grasbij
English:Yellow-legged mining bee
Deutsch:Gewöhnliche Bindensandbiene
Amstelveen; 1 April 2009.
Left, male feeding at Draba verna; right, female feeding at Salix spec.
Andrena praecox
Authority:(Scopoli, 1763)
Nederlands:Vroege zandbij
English:Small sallow mining bee
Deutsch:Frühe Lockensandbiene
Amstelveen; 1 April 2009. Female resting at branch of willow, Salix spec.
Colletes cunicularius
Authority:(Linnaeus, 1761)
Nederlands:Grote zijdebij
English:Early colletes
Deutsch:Frühlings-Seidenbiene
Amstelveen; 1 April 2009.

I first saw a few females of this species in 2008. This spring they were much more numerous, and both males and females were present - as shown by this copulating pair.
Sphecodes albilabris
Authority:(Fabricius, 1793)
Nederlands:Grote bloedbij
Deutsch:Riesen-Blutbiene
Amstelveen; 1 April 2009.

This species is a cuckoo-bee of Colletes cunicularius above. What amazes me is that one year after I first saw C. cunicularius here, several females of its cuckoo-bee were already present. This suggests that last years brood was already parasitized; which in turn suggests that both species arrived almost simultaneously. Since the source population may well be 20 km away, I find this surprising.
Amauronematus spec.
Amsterdamse bos; 3 April 2009.
Female feeding at willow (Salix spec.).
Andrena fulva
Authority:(Müller, 1766)
Nederlands:Vosje
English:Tawny mining bee
Deutsch:Fuchsrote Lockensandbiene
Amstelveen; 3 April 2009.
Female feeding at Sloe (Prunus spinosa).
Dolerus cf. nigratus
Amstelveen; 5 April 2009.
right, feeding at willow (Salix spec.).
Chalcidoidea: Perilampus spec.
Amsterdamse bos; 5 April 2009.
Andrena nitida
Authority:(Müller, 1776)
Nederlands:Viltvlekzandbij
English:Scarce black mining bee
Deutsch:Glänzende Düstersandbiene
Amstelveen; 5 April 2009. Male.
Nomada spec.
Amstelveen; 13 April 2009.
Aglaostigma aucupariae
Amstelveen; 13 April 2009.
Nematus spec.
Amstelveen; 13 April 2009.
Ichneumonidae,
subfam. Anomaloninae
Amstelveen; 13 April 2009.
Andrena ventralis
Authority:Imhoff, 1832
Nederlands:Roodbuikje
Deutsch:Rotbauch-Sandbiene
Amstelveen; 18 April 2009. Female.
Andrena barbilabris & Leucophora spec.
Authority:(Kirby, 1802)
Nederlands:Witbaardzandbij
English:Sandpit mining bee
Deutsch:Bärtige Sandbiene
Amstelveen; 18 April 2009. Female.
A. barbilabris
Authority:(Kirby, 1802)
Nederlands:Witbaardzandbij
English:Sandpit mining bee
Deutsch:Bärtige Sandbiene
Amstelveen; 18 April 2009.
Nomada alboguttata
Authority:Herrich-Schäffer, 1839
Nederlands:Bleekvlekwespbij
Deutsch:Weißfleckige Wespenbiene
Amstelveen; 18 April 2009.
Andrena spec. & Steatoda spec.
Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen; 19 April 2009.

Male bee caught in web of spider. The bee ferociously defended itself, and scared the spider away. But this was a Pyrrhus victory, as the bee couldn't free itself from the web...
Pamphilius cf. vafer
Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen; 19 April 2009.
Bottom left, male; others, female. Right, ovipositing female.
Nomada alboguttata
Authority:Herrich-Schäffer, 1839
Nederlands:Bleekvlekwespbij
Deutsch:Weißfleckige Wespenbiene
Amstelveen; 21 April 2009.
Tenthredo campestris
Amstelveen; 25 April 2009. Very lightly colored specimen.
Notice completely yellow legs, rather unusual in this species.
Tenthredo temula
Amstelveen; 25 April 2009.
Pamphilius cf. marginatus
Amstelveen; 30 April 2009.
Pamphilius spec.
Amstelveen; 25 April 2009.
Abia fasciata
Nederlands:kamperfoeliebladwesp
English:honeysuckle sawfly
Amstelveen; 29 April 2009.
Dolerus germanicus
Amstelveen; 29 April 2009. Female ovipositing at Equisetum arvense
Craesus septentrionalis
Nederlands:elzebladwesp
Amstelveen; 30 April 2009.
cf Pontania spec.
Amstelveen; 1 May 2009.
Eriocampa ovata
Amstelveense Poel; 1 May 2009.
Arge cf. ciliaris
Amstelveense Poel; 1 May 2009.
Tenthredo atra
Bloesembos (Amstelveen); 1 May 2009.
Eutomostethus ephippium
Bloesembos (Amstelveen); 1 May 2009.
Tenthredopsis spec.
Amstelveen; 16 May 2009.
Cephus pygmeus
Amstelveen; 16 May 2009.
Crabro peltarius
Authority:(Schreber, 1784)
Nederlands:Kleine zeefwesp
Deutsch:Kleine Siebwespe
Amstelveen; 16 - 23 May 2009. Males.
Trypoxylon spec.
Amstelveen; 28 May 2009.