Bees

✨ Shiny, black, grey face, two grey bands.

Important crop pollinators in England.

✨ Big! Three bands, visible chitin.

Seen more in south and central England.

✨ Two lemon-yellow bands, HUGE red tail.

Found in upland moors and grasslands.

✨ Lemon collar, notched mid-band, white tail.

Found: Scottish Highlands - rare elsewhere.

✨ Dark ginger thorax and brown 'belt'.

Found: south coasts of England and Wales.

✨ Thick coat, 2 dark yellow stripes.

Early emerging bee found across UK.

✨ Spotlight 1: what to look for.

Spotlight 2: location or habitat information.

✨ Fluffy, ginger bee - can look quite dark.

Found across UK - common in gardens.

✨ Fluffy head and thorax, abdomen bands.

Plasterer bee: seen summer to autumn.

✨ Small - two yellow bands and red tail.

Found all over - really like gardens.

✨ Two yellow bands. Yellow tail.

More rare as you move North.

✨ White tail has yellow trim or black band and red tip.

Widespread and early emerging.

✨ Three 'lemon' stripes, white tail.

Found in most habitats in UK.

✨ Big, yellow bee with black band.

Found north Scotland, Orkney, Hebrides.

✨ Visible chitin, white tail with yellow trim.

In north and west of UK in heaths and moors.

✨ Males: Fluffy, ginger, long leg hair Females: Fluffy, black, orange leg hair.

Often first bee to emerge in the year.

✨ Small and fluffy. Three bands, white tail.

Mostly in Scotland and south England.

✨ Slim, smooth-looking banded abdomen.

Most managed; some wild colonies in UK.

✨ Fluffy head and thorax, smooth, banded abdomen.

Autumn bee seen later than other Plasterer bees.

✨ Metallic blue, teardrop-shaped abdomen.

Like roses in sunshine.

✨ Black with yellow stripes, quite smooth.

A Nomad bee often seen in gardens.

✨ Neat, pale, all-ginger bee.

Mainly coastal.

✨ Fluffy orange-red abdomen.

Early spring bee. Loves a bee hotel.

✨ Black with red tail. Red leg hair.

Very localised in England, Wales, Hebrides and Channel Islands.

✨ Black, red tail. Males have yellow stripes.

Across UK - less common in Scotland.

✨ Big, black, long with red tail. Dark wings.

Mostly in central to south England.

✨ Big velvety bee, three neat yellow bands.

Mostly in central to south England.

✨ Very short hair, 'bald patch' on thorax.

Probably extinct in UK.

✨ Straw-colour, black band, ginger tail.

South of England, south coast of Wales.

✨ Dark-yellow band, yellow tail trim.

England, coastal Wales - scarce elsewhere.

✨ Females are fluffy, orange-red bees.

Spring bee found in gardens and parks.

✨ Ginger thorax, white tail.

England, Wales, moving into Scotland.

✨ Very shiny, blue-black, big dark wings.

Found in South England, moving north.

✨ Two bright-yellow bands, white tail.

Like flowery gardens and meadows.

✨ Bronze 'halo', females have orange underside, males have white 'flares'

A common Leafcutter - seen in gardens.

✨ Big, black bee with yellow dots.

Territorial males patrol flower patches.