Anthophora retusa, the potter flower bee, is a species of solitary digger bee.[5]
A. retusa is generally found in Western Europe and southern Sweden.[6] In the United Kingdom, A. retusa is thought to be limited to five sites, including Seaford Head Nature Reserve.[7]
A. retusa can be differentiated from Anthophora plumipes by the hind-tibial spurs; in A. plumipes they are black while in A. retusa they are yellow or yellow-brown.[2]
A. retusa prefers sandy soils and is generally found on coastal dunes and cliffs as well as inland on commons and heathlands.[2][5]
A. retusa has suffered population decline since the Second World War but undergone rapid decline since the 1990s,[7] similar to that seen in some bumblebee species.[5][8] It is an endangered species in Britain.[9][10]
Anthophora retusa, the potter flower bee, is a species of solitary digger bee.
