[1] This bee occurs in the Palearctic realm, ranging from Western Europe to as far east as Siberia and China.

[1] The adult female prepares a burrow, usually in clay soil, kneading the walls to make them smooth.

The nest is provisioned with a mixture of pollen and honey made into a paste and an egg is laid on this.

On leaving the burrow, the male passes its long antennae through a notch on the tarsus (first leg segment), by which means any adhering membranes are scraped off.

[1] In the Mediterranean region, the male is a pollinator of the bee orchid Ophrys apifera.