Leucophora obtusa

Characterized by exceptionally hairy body compared to congeners, with long erect hairs on abdominal sternites and lateral scutellar margins. Distinguished from other Leucophora species primarily by this pilosity pattern, though precise identification requires expert examination.

Particularly hairy body with dense hair covering the thorax, abdomen, and legs. Long erect hairs present on abdominal sternites and lateral margins of the scutellum. Notoriously difficult to distinguish from other Leucophora species.

Found near nests of Andrena bees. Recorded from Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire, UK.

Japan, Europe, and North America. Distribution records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

• Andrena bees - larvae parasitizedlarvae are parasitic on host's brood
• Andrena bee nests - oviposition sitefemales oviposit in the tumulus of the nest entrance

Larvae are parasitic on the host's brood. Development occurs within the host bee's nest.

Females hover or "orbit" around bee nests. Females shadow the host bee back to its burrow to locate oviposition sites.

Parasitoid of Andrena bee larvae. Acts as a natural population control agent for host bee species.

• Other Leucophora speciesNotoriously difficult to distinguish; requires examination of hair density and pattern, particularly erect hairs on abdominal sternites and scutellar margins

• parasitoid
• kleptoparasite
• bee parasite
• Anthomyiidae
• Diptera

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Botanizing at Elephant Rocks State Park | Beetles In The Bush
• endoparasitoid | Blog
• Marine invertebrates with Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Buglife Blog - Buglife
• December | 2021 | Beetles In The Bush
• The genome sequence of a satellite fly, Leucophora obtusa (Zetterstedt, 1837).