Megachile ericetorum (Lepeletier, 1841) commonly known as “Banded Mud bee”
Family: Megachilidae
Female:10mm Male: 9mm
Flight Season: April to August.
A widespread species, in the warmer climates of Europe, so excluding the Scandinavia countries. Into central Asia and North Africa.
Megachile ericetorum is not a leaf-cutter. (Females lack bevelled cutting edges in the interspaces of the mandibular teeth).
Habitat: Various habitats, open scrubland, grasslands including mountainous areas.
Nesting: In holes and cervices occurring in, Dead wood, walls, hollow plant stems, ground banks and in the ground of abandoned burrows, of other bees.
The cells are constructed from local ground materials, be mud, sand and micro stones, coated with plant resins to construct nest partitions on the inside of each cell.