Sphecodes pellucidus Smith, 1845

Cleptoparasitic: Hosts; The only published host of this species in Britain is Andrena barbilabris (R.C.L. Perkins, 1923, 1924; Hallett, 1928; Butterfield & Fordham, 1932; Spooner, 1946; Guichard & Yarrow, 1948; Chambers, 1949), as in other parts of Europe (Bischoff, 1927; F.K. Stöckhert, 1933). I have occasionally observed females of the Sphecodes in the vicinity of the nesting burrows of this Andrena, and M. Edwards (pers. comm.) has taken a female of it from such a burrow. The Sphecodes has also been found on several occasions on Holt Heath, Dorset, in the vicinity of the burrows of Lasioglossum prasinum (S.P.M. Roberts, pers. comm.). In Merseyside, several S. pellucidus have been found in the nest burrows of Colletes cunicularius (Gardner, 1901a), but it is not known if they attack this bee in that locality; it may be that they were only sheltering within the burrows (Else & Edwards, 2018)

However, on the continent, Alfken (1913) and F.K. Stoeckhert (1933) additionally list A. argentata as a possible host and this may be applicable in southern England. Further observations in such sites may confirm this suggestion. Alfken (1913) also mentions A. wilkella as a possible host; F.K. Stöckhert (1933) has seen the cleptoparasite on many occasions at the burrows of A. bicolor [as A. gwynana].

Celary (1991) lists the following as possible hosts: Andrena humilis, A. bicolor, A. ventralis, A. barbilabris and A. wilkella.

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