Roydon Common
Small Sandpit Mining Bee Two males tussling for about 8-10 minutes.
A prolonged mating that went on for at least fifteen minutes.
Lots of mating activity today.
This particular female took four goes before she found her tunnel.
Disappearing through the sand.
Small Sandpit Mining Bee (Andrena argenta)
A predatory Fly Sp
Leucophora grisella, a summer flying shadow/satellite fly (cleptoparasite) of the bee.
The ever present Nomada Bear-clawed Nomad Bee ♀︎ (Nomada baccata)
Red Banded Sand Wasp (Ammophila sabulosa)
Actually
Heath Sand Wasp (Ammophila pubescens)
I didn't look hard enough at the wing vexation pattern.
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
♂︎
More likely a very worn Sivery Leafcutter Bee (Megachile leachella)
Note the dark hairs near the tip of the scopa.
♀︎
Patchwork Leafcutter Bee (Megachile centuncularis)
The dark hairs near the tip of the scope make this a Brown Footed Leafcutter Bee (Megachile versicolor)
A countryside version of the Patchwork Leafcutter Bee
As ever thanks to Nick Owens for comments and corrections.
A pair of Ferruginous Bee Grabbers (Sicus ferruginous) somewhat disturbed by a Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta)