Renter: Snail shells. There are records of the bee utilising empty snail shells of small to medium size (e.g. Cepaea, Cernuella, Helicella, Helix, Pomatias, Theba and specifically shells of Zebrina detrita and Helicella itala. ) which are hidden under stones. The few nests observed so far contained only 1 cell. In Alpes Maritimes (FR), it is also reported to nest under stones.
LeGoff (pers.comm) reports nesting in shells of Cochlicella barbara, Cornuella neglecta and Albea candidissima in France
Nesting material: The cell is closed with a partition of leaf pulp (e.g. from Helianthemum (Cistaceae) and Potentilla (Rosaceae))(Westrich, 1989). The nest plug consists of two walls of leaf pulp (with few intermixed pebbles and earth crumbs on their inside) constructed immediately behind each other at the shell opening. The space between cell partition and the inner plug wall is loosely filled with small pebbles, earth crumbs and small plant sticks. (Banaszak and Romasenko, 2001; Benoist, 1931; Ducke, 1900; Ferton, 1894, 1908; Stoeckhert, 1933; Westrich, 1989; G. Le Goff, personal observation; A. Müller, personal observation)