This is a medium-sized Colletes species with a rather greyish appearance in the field. Even when fresh, both sexes look rather faded, especially when compared to their more brightly-coloured relatives. The top of the thorax and the head has greyish-brown hairs, whilst the face and sides of the thorax have pale grey hairs. The abdomen of both sexes is fairly strongly banded with pale grey hair.

Distribution: This is primarily a western Mediterranean species, being found throughout Spain and Portugal, southern France, southern Switzerland, Italy, Corsica, Sardinia and northern Morocco and Tunisia. There is also a record for Croatia.

Flight Period: Apparently univoltine, flying from April – June.

Habitat: Occurs in maquis, scrub, field margins and woodland edges.

Flowers Visited: It is a polylectic species, visiting a wide range of flowers. I have recorded it on mignonettes (Reseda sp.) and yellow asteraceae.

Personal Records: I have recorded this species in the Sierra de Gádor in southern Spain. Here I found both sexes active on Reseda flowers in dry stoney grassland adjacent to pine woodland.