Excavator: Ground. On the south coast of England compact and extensive nesting aggregations are not unusual, particularly where conditions are suitable, as for instance on exposed patches of soil on landslips and steep slopes. For example, some aggregations on the southern coastline of the Isle of Wight are of immense size, containing thousands of individuals. Inland the species is normally less abundant and more local, nesting in sand pits and on roadside banks. Nest burrows are usually excavated close to one another. The factors governing nest site selection and sex attraction in this species are described by Butler (1965). Nest construction has been described by Fahringer & Told (1912). The brood cells are found at the end of a 16-23 cm long, more or less curved main burrow (Marikovskaya, 1972).
In a large nesting aggregation vast numbers of males mill around close to the ground in their search for females.