Macropis fulvipes

• Scientific name: Macropis fulvipes
• Common name: yellow loosestrife bee
• Dimension: 8-9 mm
• Habitat: preferably in wooded areas, but also clearings, deforested areas, forest edges and occasionally in gardens
• Behavior: solitary
• Collective behavior: oligolectic
• Larvae's diet: plants of the Lysimachia genus. Main source of pollen is Lysimachia nummularia, the creeping jenny plant
• Nest: in the ground
• Parasitized by: Epeoloides coecutiens
• Red list of bees in Switzerland: not endangered

Interesting Facts:

The special thing about the yellow loosestrife bee is that it doesn't just collect pollen, but also plant oil. The undersides of the hind legs of the females have small, velvety pads of thick, dark hair, perfect for absorbing the lysimachia oil. Once collected, they transfer the oil to the brushes on the hind tibiae, which are made up of fine, light hairs that facilitate transportation to the nest.