Wool-carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Wool-carder bee, Anthidium manicatum (submitted by NaturePlus user Barrybloke)
Like other solitary bees, wool-carder bees make burrows. What is unique to this species, however, is the way females line their brood cells with the hairs of hairy-leaved plants like lambs ears (Stachys sp.). This process is similar to the carding of wool (where wool is combed in a single direction before being spun), which explains its common name.
Wool-carder bees are around 9-12mm long. Their body is mostly black, with distinctive yellow spots.
These bees are very territorial and patrol their favourite flower borders, chasing off any other visiting insects. They fly from late May to the end of August or early September.
