Een kielstaartkegelbij (Coelioxys alata) in de Peel

Coelioxys alata, a very rare cuckoo bee in the Netherlands, was found in the Groote Peel, in the southeastern part of the Netherlands. In the last century this bee had been found only four times in the Netherlands: our Red List gives this species the status “extinct.” This bee is also very rare in the surrounding countries. The similarly rare host bee Megachile ligniseca, was also found in the area. A brief description of the biotope of this bee is given. In this biotope this bee visits mainly Cirsium palustre and Cirsium vulgare, very near to willow vegetation. This is probably the same biotope where C. alata appears.