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 buff hairs on top of the thorax.

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. 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.