Apidae cf, May 2008, Hungary

[xespok]

This was a surprisingly abundant bee? near open sand.

[Camille Thirion]

Crabronidae...

[piros]

Hi,
Bembix (Crabronidae) again, possibly Bembix rostrata?

Regards,
Henrik

[Montanus]

Or is it a Bembecinus sp.?

Øistein Berg

[piros]

Yes, of course, you are right, Montanus ! In this case, could it be Bembecinus hungaricus?

Regards,

Henrik

[Christian]

It is Bembecinus (above and below males, in the middle a female). I cannot recognize, wheather it is hungaricus or tridens, because important characters are not visible. B. tridens is very common, B. hungaricus rare even in Hungary. It would be necessary to can see female clypeus (all black in tridens, yellow in hungaricus), or band on first tergum (continuus in tridens, interrupted in hungaricus), or wing venation.

Christian

[piros]

Hi Christian, don't you think that in the uppermost pic the clypeus of the female (assuming that the female is under the male, ) is yellow?

Regards,

Henrik

[xespok]

Some more images.

[Christian]

The first new pic is a clear B. tridens female. The last pic is a clear male, probably also tridens. The two specimens in the first pics are both males. I don't know what they are doing there, but there are clearly 7 abdominal segments in the lower specimens (females have only 6)

Thanks also for your message, tomorrow I will look for it.

Christian