Sphecodes ephippius (Linnaeus, 1767)

Cleptoparasitic: Hosts; In the British Isles the species is probably a cleptoparasite of: Lasioglossum calceatum (Chambers, 1948), L. laticeps (Packer, 1983), L. lativentre (R.C.L. Perkins, 1923), L. leucozonium (R.C.L. Perkins, 1923; Hallett, 1928; Butterfield & Fordham, 1932), L. quadrinotatum (R.C.L. Perkins, 1923) and perhaps Andrena chrysosceles (Else & Edwards, 2018).

Continental records include Andrena argentata, A. barbilabris [as A. sericea](both Alfken, 1913), Halictus maculatus, H. tumulorum, Lasioglossum lativentre (all Bischoff, 1927) and L. leucozonium (E. Stöckhert in F.K. Stöckhert, 1933). The enormous variation in the size of both sexes of this Sphecodes results from its choice of different host species.

Celary (1991) lists the following as possible hosts: Halictus tumulorum, Lasioglossum quadrinotatum, L. lativentre, L. leucozonium and L. quadrinotatulum.

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