Excavator: Stems. Nests of this species are constructed in dead, dry, pithy stems, including Rubus and Rosa; examples of those in Rubus stems have been described by Höppner (1904b) and Enslin 1925). Cell partitions and the terminal plug comprise plant mastic. The nest architecture differs from that of its close congener H. claviventris in that the cells are smaller, parallel-sided and cylindrical, not truncate elliptical in outline as in H. claviventris. A nest examined by Höppner (1904b) contained 19 cells, cells 1-11 producing males, and 12-19 females. Such a large nest must be considered most unusual. Nesting biology has been described, and a completed nest illustrated, by Westrich (1989); a provisioned nest has also been illustrated by Müller, Krebs & Amiet (1997). The mature larva has been described and figured by Enslin (1925).
In Germany, Westrich (2008) reared this species from old gall-chambers of the fly Lipara lucens on Common Reed, (Phragmites australis) .