Red-tailed Blood Bee
Sphecodes rubicundus
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
The Red-tailed Blood Bee faces severe population declines primarily due to the loss of its specialized nesting habitats and the decline of its host bee species. Agricultural intensification and urban development have eliminated many of the sandy soils and sparse vegetation areas essential for both nesting sites and the solitary bees it parasitizes. Climate change compounds these pressures by altering the timing of host bee emergence, potentially disrupting the precise synchronization required for successful parasitism.
Habitat
Red-tailed Blood Bees inhabit open sandy areas, coastal dunes, heathlands, and sparsely vegetated grasslands where their host solitary bees nest. They require proximity to diverse flowering plants that support their host species, particularly areas with exposed sandy or clay soils suitable for ground-nesting bee communities.
Other threatened species in Halictidae
Threatened in Austria
Frequently asked questions
Why is Red-tailed Blood Bee classified as Vulnerable?
Where does Red-tailed Blood Bee live?
What are the main threats to Red-tailed Blood Bee?
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