As this species’ name suggests, it bears a passing resemblance to Colletes species. The presence of frons among other, more subtle features will give its identity away as an Andrena. Females possess a rather large, wide head and squat body shape. The overall body colour is black, but it has conspicuous off-white bands on the abdomen, which may become abraded. The sides of the thorax and hindlegs have dense grey hair, whilst there is a sparse covering of dull brown hairs on top of the thorax. The propodeum has a rather ‘rugged’ texture and the labrum process (the small projection which sites below the clypeus, between the mandibles) is notched in the centre. This latter feature separates it from the very similar Andrena miegiella.

Distribution: A southern European species, this bee is found from Portugal through central and southern Spain, S France, Italy, the Balkans, Hungary and Romania. It is also widespread in Anatolia and several larger Mediterranean islands.

Flight Period: Seemingly flies in a single brood from early April – late June.

Habitat: Found in open, flower-rich habitats such as dunes, brownfield land, field margins, hay meadows, maquis and woodland edges.

Flowers Visited: Possibly oligolectic on umbellifers (Apiaceae). Wild Carrot is a known pollen source.

Personal Records: I have observed this species in rather large numbers in the fields west of Villamoura in southern Portugal. Here females were foraging on Wild Carrot.