A univoltine species: late June to mid August and in the mountains and northern areas they fly from June to early August (Tomozei, 2014; Else & Edwards, 2018).
In Finland the species is known to fly from early June until late August (Söderman & Leinonen, 2003)
In Thessaly (Greece) Standfuss et al. (2011) report flight activity in April and May
Parasites The bee Nomada armata is a well documented cleptoparasite of this species throughout its range.
Both sexes exhibit colour dimorphism, though it is less well developed in males. Throughout its British range the vast majority of females are typically dark, having uniformly polished, black gasters (marginal areas of the terga almost unpigmented). However, there is a rare form of this sex in which the gaster has, both dorsally and ventrally, broad, transverse, bright red bands. Occasionally this form may be locally dominant. The gastral coloration of most males resembles that of typical females, but some of the intermediate male terga are sometimes narrowly marked anteriorly with red, this colour showing through the transparent marginal areas of the preceding terga. This colour dimorphism involving both sexes also exists elsewhere in western Europe.
Pheromones: Pheromone analysis of the Dufour's gland secretions has revealed the presence of Z,Z-farnesyl hexanoate (Tengö, J., and Bergström, G. 1975. All-trans-farnesyl hexanoate and geranyl octanoate in the dufour gland secretion of Andrena (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). J. Chem. Ecol. 1:253-268..)