Iconic Bees: 12 Reports on UK Bee Species

Home , Anthophora plumipes, Anthophora retusa, Avon Dassett, Bombus monticola, Colletes, Colletes halophilus

Iconic Bees: 12 reports on UK bee species

Bees are vital to the ecology of the UK and provide significant social and economic benefits through crop pollination and maintaining the character of the landscape. Recent years have seen substantial declines in many species of bees within the UK. This report takes a closer look at how 12 ‘iconic’ bee species are faring in each English region, as well as Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Authors Rebecca L. Evans and Simon G. Potts, University of Reading. Photo: © Amelia Collins Contents

1 Summary 2 East England Sea-aster Mining Bee 6 East Midlands Large Garden Bumblebee 10 London Buff-tailed Bumblebee 14 North East Bilberry Bumblebee 18 North West Wall Mason Bee 22 Northern Ireland Northern Colletes 26 Scotland Great Yellow Bumblebee 30 South East England Potter Flower Bee 34 South West England Scabious Bee 38 Wales Large Mason Bee 42 West Midlands Long-horned Bee 46 Yorkshire Tormentil Mining Bee Through collating information on the 12 iconic bee species, common themes have Summary emerged on the causes of decline, and the actions that can be taken to help reverse it. The most pervasive causes of bee species decline are to be found in the way our countryside has changed in the past 60 years. Intensification of grazing regimes, an increase in pesticide use, loss of biodiverse field margins and hedgerows, the trend towards sterile monoculture, insensitive development and the sprawl of towns and cities are the main factors in this. I agree with the need for a comprehensive Bee Action Plan led by the UK Government in order to counteract these causes of decline, as called for by Friends of the Earth. But households and communities, local authorities and agencies, and devolved governments can also make a significant difference. And while it’s critical that the UK Government acts to reverse the decline in all bee species, some of the iconic bees identified in this research also have very specific and local needs. Overarching Recommendations include: > Governmenti, local wildlife groups and local authorities to raise awareness of bee diversity and pollinators’ ecological and economic importance. > Government to ensure further surveying and monitoring of wild bees to establish more accurate population numbers and changes. > Government to ensure there is enough expertise and advice available for landowners, local authorities and farmers to inform bee-friendly land management. > Government, local wildlife groups and local authorities to promote sympathetic grazing regimes to landowners and farmers that ensure adequate bee-friendly forage availability until the end of summer/early autumn. > Government to encourage farmers to take-up the most beneficial Agri-Environment options such as sowing pollen and nectar mixes, buffer strips, wildflower margins, sympathetically managed hay meadows and semi-natural grasslands. These options need to be widely available and financially viable for the landowner. > Government to set quantitative targets for the reduction of all pesticide use and to encourage the use of alternative pest management methods. > Government to ensure protection for sites of importance to rare and threatened bees, for example with SSSI designation. > Local planning authorities to ensure that biodiversity priority lists and action plans are consulted as part of their consideration of any planning or development proposals, and damage to priority species and habitats avoided. > Government and local planning authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat when carrying out developments. > Planning authorities to identify important populations of rare or threatened bee species and significant sites for bees in their local plans, ensuring that they are adequately protected. > Local authorities and local wildlife groups to encourage gardeners and local communities to grow more wild and/or bee-friendly plants in open spaces and gardens. > Local authorities to grow more bee friendly plants in parks and open spaces. These actions cut across various policy areas and involve multiple actors. Friends of the Earth’s call for a Bee Action Plan is primarily aimed at the UK Government, but would involve devolved governments, key stakeholders such as farmers, bee keepers, local authorities and agencies to advise on its content and implementation. Simon G. Potts, Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading. i Government refers to UK Government or where powers are devolved to the relevant devolved Government

1 East England Sea-aster Mining Bee

Common name: Sea-aster Mining Bee Scientific name: Colletes halophilus

Description

This attractive solitary bee belongs to a group known as ‘mining bees’, a term relating to their habit of excavating burrows in the earth in which to nest. The females are 11-14mm long with rich reddish brown hair on the thorax and black abdomen with distinct pale hair bands. The males are similar but smaller at 8-12mm and generally paler.

Distribution and Status

> C. halophilus is globally very limited in its distribution, being found only in low-lying coastal areas of the eastern English Channel, the Atlantic coast of France and the southern North Sea. > Within the UK it is distributed along suitable coasts of the east and south of England from Spurn point to the very east coast of Dorset. East England is a key area > East Anglia and the Thames Estuary are particularly significant strongholds. Due for the Colletes halophilus. to such a localised worldwide distribution, it could be argued, in a global context, © Map copyright: See back cover. that it is the UK’s most ‘important’ bee species. > The species is restricted to the coast, occurring at near sea-level habitats such as saltmarsh, sea walls, dune systems, low cliffs and behind beaches. Colletes halophilus is on the England Biodiversity Strategy S41 species list (previously the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP)) and although not included in the Red Data Book by Shirt (1987), was later revised by Falk (1991) to Nationally Notable (Na).

Ecology and Behaviour

> The female C. halophilus excavates short, curved nesting burrows from exposed bare soil at the end of which she builds a cluster of five or six nest partitions or ‘cells’. In each cell the female lays an egg provisioned with pollen and a little nectar (normally from Sea Aster) that the growing bee (larva) will feed on.

2 > It will then undergo metamorphosis, forming a pupa in which it totally transforms, Key Facts: later breaking through its cell to emerge from the burrow as the adult. Females will nest very close together at the same site in an aggregation (sometimes numbering > Could be argued, in a global thousands); however they still ‘work’ completely independently from one another and context, as being the UK’s most are not social insects. ‘important’ bee species. > Emergence of the first individuals takes place around mid-August; the males first, > The name halophilus means ‘salt followed by the females. As females emerge, large numbers of males can sometimes loving’ after the habitat it is found be seen ‘mobbing’ the females, clustering into what is known as a ‘mating ball’. After in, saltmarsh. mating takes place the females start building their nest burrows, laying eggs and > Saltmarsh has declined by 50% provisioning them with food. worldwide. > The bee not only needs to collect pollen for its young, it needs this protein itself plus Best places to see: The saltmarshes energy from sugary nectar in order to remain active as long as possible. Individuals of of north Norfolk and North Essex this species gather nectar from a wide range of plant species but the females will only such as the Blackwater estuary. collect pollen from plants of the family Asteraceae, namely Sea Aster (Aster tripolium). > The foraging and nesting activity of C. halophilus will continue until around the middle of September or occasionally early November by which time all individuals will have died; the males first followed by the females. The young overwinter in their cells and emerge in the summer as their parents did the previous year and the whole cycle begins again. > Over a quarter of British bee species are known as cleptoparasites or ‘Cuckoo Bees’. This means that they enter nests of other bees and lay their own egg in an occupied cell, which in turn hatches and eats both host larva and pollen provision. The cuckoo bee Epeolus variegatus is the parasite of C. halophilus.

Causes of Decline and Conservation

> Due to this bee’s habit of nesting almost at sea level, the most obvious threats to its survival are habitat loss due to coastal development (sea defences, urbanisation etc.), erosion and sea-level rise. > Worldwide saltmarsh habitat has declined by an estimated 50% (Mossman et al, 2012). The JNCC reports 58% of current UK saltmarsh to be in ‘favourable’ condition. > Saltmarsh is a protected habitat under the EU Habitats Directive and as a consequence any losses of the habitat due to erosion or urbanisation etc. must either be restored or replaced under the commitments of the directive. > The driving factors of decline can cause loss of the required stable substrate in which the bees nest and loss of its preferred food-plant Sea Aster. It is made even more vulnerable in having an extremely localised distribution and these factors are applicable throughout its global range, not just the U.K. > The effects of habitat loss on this species take time to come about, this is because the Sea Aster it thrives on occurs in the centre of saltmarsh and so is not the first bit of land to be lost to erosion, sea-level rise etc. This may explain why large-scale declines have not yet been recorded. > The east of England is a stronghold for C. halophilus because there are larger areas of saltmarsh and less development than the south coast. The north Norfolk coast is particularly suitable since the mix of saltmarsh and sand dunes provides a stable mix of food plant and nesting habitats. > In both 2010 and 2011, investigations into the nesting requirements of Colletes halophilus were carried out by Hymettus Ltd at various sites in Essex and Suffolk. It was discovered that the bee was exploiting a number of different areas within the coastal habitats, namely the zone between sand dune and saltmarsh as well as Marram grass locations (Lee, 2011). In these areas it was mainly nesting in moist sandy substrate but aggregations have also been recorded in clay-based sea defences. At the sites where nests were not kept moist, it is suggested that tunnels are held together by the root systems of the Marram grass. This information is useful for planning future surveys of existing or potential populations, whether for developers or for general recording/monitoring purposes.

3 > There is a land management option which could promote saltmarsh habitat for C. halophilus and that is the relatively new practice of ‘managed retreat’ or ‘managed realignment’. This involves removal of man-made sea defences, allowing the land to act as a natural barrier between the sea and inland areas. It was developed to both stabilise the coast and help mitigate the loss of saltmarsh and other intertidal habitats. > Some of the organisations that have initiated managed realignment projects include the Essex Wildlife Trust, RSPB and Environment Agency. Sites in Essex where schemes have taken place include Tollesbury and Abbott’s Hall Farm in the Blackwater Estuary which covers almost 280ha. > There have been records of C. halophilus turning up at a managed retreat site in Brancaster, Norfolk (Strudwick, personal communication, February 11, 2012) just two years after creation. > In 2012 the University of East Anglia published results of a study (Mossman et al, 2012) that compared floristic biodiversity between saltmarsh sites that were either natural, created by storm surges or man-made (e.g. through realignment schemes). They discovered that man-made sites (one site was the marshes at the above mentioned Brancaster realignment) were significantly less biodiverse than the natural saltmarshes and that therefore it could be argued that commitments under the EU Habitats Directive were not being met. They note that sites were mainly deficient in ‘higher’ saltmarsh species and suggested that many man-made marshes could be improved by both planting more mid and upper level saltmarsh plants or by raising the elevation of the marsh. > It should be remembered that since development of the saltmarsh (and hence Sea Aster) habitat can take decades, coupled with the fact that these sites may be inadequately monitored (Wolters et al, 2012), it still remains difficult as yet to know how successful sites of managed retreat have been for the species. However the species has been recorded at some of these sites, and even man-made Top: Sea aster flowers. © Simone Truniger Bottom: Saltmarsh, Suffolk. © Thinkstock saltmarsh must be better than no saltmarsh. > All these issues make results of the practice unknown or unpredictable and as a consequence, it is slow to be taken up as a management option (Morris et al, 2004). > Hymettus Ltd have utilised data from the Environment Agency on coastal erosion and sea defences in order to map zones within the bee’s range that are at risk from saltmarsh loss due to sea level rise and also to locate areas where managed realignment schemes may be beneficial (Lee, 2011).

Recommendations

4 > Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities giving advice to landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to promote the bee’s required habitat and forage, e.g. to install a grazing/mowing regime that avoids removing flowers until early autumn, leaving/clearing of some bare patches of soil for nesting habitat and sowing of Sea Aster if feasible. > If any management is undertaken then monitoring of its effectiveness bylocal authorities, local recorders and local wildlife groups should be undertaken. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to identify any corridors of potentially suitable habitat between existing populations and relate this to the species’ dispersal distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored by local authorities, wildlife groups, or recorders. If it is deemed particularly important, the local authorities Photo: © Steven Falk should incorporate it into their local plans to provide protection for the corridor and the species dependent upon it. > MPs, planning authorities and councillors to support proposed saltmarsh recreation schemes and ensure that extra conservation measures such as planting of mid and high level saltmarsh plants and having areas of raised elevation are implemented at the same time. > 80% of the UK’s saltmarsh falls within SSSI and is protected under the EU Habitats Directive. However local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their local plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are in place to protect these populations when development is proposed. > UK Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat in new developments. This would be in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain. For example, over the next 18 months the Environment Agency plans to rebuild flood defences near Breydon Water. It will simultaneously create nesting habitat for C. halophilus and will survey for the species before and after completion (Strudwick, personal communication, February 11, 2012). > Local people in the region could also join local habitat creation campaigns such as the Friends of the Earth ‘Bee Worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a Bee Action Plan.

References

Edwards, M. (2009) Aculeate Information Sheets: How the habitat requirements of BAP aculeates relate to their HAP; Colletes halophilus, a bee of saltmarshes. Hymettus. Else, G.R. & Field, J.P. (2001) Colletes halophilus. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. JNCC (2010) Colletes halophilus .UK Priority species Pages V2. Lee, P. (2011) Hymettus Ltd Research Report for 2011. Hymettus Ltd. Mossman, H.L., Davy, A.J. & Grant, A. (2012). Does Managed Coastal Realignment Create Saltmarshes with ‘Equivalent Biological Characteristics’ to Natural Reference Sites? Journal of Applied Ecology 49 (6), pp.1446-1453. Morris, R. K. A., Reach, I.S., Duffy, M.J., Collins, T.S. & Leafe, R.N. (2004) On the Loss of Salt Marshes in South- east England and the Relationship with Nereis diversicolor. Journal of Applied Ecology 41(4), pp.787-791. Strudwick, T. (2012) Personal Communication. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

5 East Midlands Large Garden Bumblebee

Common name: Large garden or Ruderal Bumblebee Scientific name: Bombus ruderatus

Key Facts: Description > Britain’s largest bee This is Britain’s largest bumblebee with a long face and extremely long tongue. It strongly resembles the more widespread Small Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) > Despite showing an estimated with a yellow band either end of its thorax, a single yellow band at the top of the 80% decline in sites recorded over abdomen (often broken or faint) and a white tail, however its hair is shorter and ‘neater’ the last century, (Anon, 2010), and the yellow bands tend to be duller and more mustard in colour. Also, unlike the it is now showing a comeback, Small Garden Bumblebee, it has a completely black form. particularly in the East Midlands which is the northern edge of its range. Distribution and Status Best places to see: Many parts of the East Midlands but particularly fenland > B. ruderatus is one of several internationally declining bumblebee species. and other wet grassland areas. Its precise range is quite difficult to define since some historic records are likely to Two examples of particularly good be misidentifications of other very similar bumblebee species. However it is basically sites are Gosberton Clough, South distributed across central and southern Europe. Lincolnshire and Easton-on-the Hill, Northamptonshire. > In the British Isles (it is only present in England) it is reported to be lost from about 80% of its former range over the last century, confining it to central and southern areas, namely the East Midlands, Cambridgeshire and the Fens (Anon., 2010), as well as some southern counties such as Hampshire and Wiltshire. > Interestingly there are areas of the UK where populations now seem to be locally increasing, particularly within the East Midlands which is the current northern limit of this range. > B. ruderatus’ preferred habitat is flower-rich meadows of river valley systems, fenlands and other wetlands. This is due to the presence in these areas of White Dead-nettle, Comfrey, Marsh Woundwort and Yellow Iris on which it likes to forage. It also has a strong liking for Clover and other leguminous plants and so is also found on farmland that contains margins and ditches rich in these species. Bombus ruderatus is on the England Biodiversity Strategy S411 species list (previously the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) and although not included in the Red Data Book by Shirt (1987), is listed by Falk (1991) as Nationally Notable or Nationally Scarce (Nb)2.

1 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in England that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives. 2 A status given to species found in only 31-100 10km grid squares of the UK.

6 Ecology and Behaviour

> Queen B. ruderatus emerge from hibernation between April and June and start looking for a suitable nest site. This will usually be underground (possibly quite deep) either under vegetation or as is often the case in a disused small mammal burrow. Either the old burrow/nest is ‘rearranged’ or possibly nearby soft dry materials such as grass and moss are gathered into a ball and used to insulate the nest. The queen makes a chamber inside with a single entrance. She secretes wax from her abdomen and forms it into a pot which she fills with nectar and next to it forms a wax covered lump of pollen (usually from plants of families Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Scrophulariaceae (now in Orobanchaceae and Plataginaceae), Iridaceae or Boraginaceae), inside which she lays around 8-16 eggs. > The queen incubates her eggs and after a few days these hatch and the larvae begin feeding on the pollen which must be replenished by the queen as they grow. After a couple of weeks, the larvae spin a cocoon and pupate, and two more weeks after this they hatch into the first all-female ‘worker’ bumblebees. Some of these will stay behind to help rear the next batch of workers but most will leave the nest and forage to bring back pollen and nectar for the nest workers and developing young. > This cycle continues until around June when the queen switches from producing workers to producing males and new queens. These emerge from the nest to be seen between about July and October. The young queens feed purposefully on pollen and nectar in order to build-up fat reserves. Around this time, they also set about looking for a mate and after mating, aim to find a suitable hibernation spot which is usually some loose soil in which they can burrow and form a small chamber in which to overwinter, living off the fat reserves they laid down. What remains of the colony i.e. workers, males and the old queen expire from exhaustion. The cycle begins again the following spring. > Over a quarter of British bee species are known as cleptoparasites or ‘Cuckoo Bees’. This means that they enter the newly established nests of other bees, usually kill the queen and then lay their own eggs. The young, reared by the host workers will only ever be fertile females or males as cuckoo species do not need their own workers. The cuckoo bumblebee Bombus barbutellus is the parasite of Bombus ruderatus.

Causes of Decline and Conservation

> The main threat and cause of decline to this bee is habitat loss through on-going agricultural intensification and land use change. > Like several other bumblebee species, it requires large areas or whole landscapes that provide plenty of nesting sites and produce in abundance a succession of the plant species it forages on throughout all stages of its life cycle. > Optimal habitat has been lost through conversion of flower-rich grassland, biodiverse Photo: Bombus ruderatus male. brownfield sites, field margins, ditches and wetlands to more intensive agricultural Avon Dassett, Warwickshire. © Steven Falk and grassland systems, plantation, scrubland and urban developments. > One of the biggest factors in habitat loss for B. ruderatus is the intensification of mowing and grazing regimes, which remove the bee’s forage plants before the end of its life cycle. > Due to the above mentioned habitat loss and fragmentation; this bee has disappeared from an estimated 80% of its former range in the UK. However as previously stated, Bombus ruderatus is now actually shown to be increasing locally in the last couple of decades, particularly within the Midlands. For example, it was rediscovered in Warwickshire in 1999 near Shipston-on-Stour after being considered extinct in the county and Falk (2011) described its subsequent increase as ‘perhaps the most pronounced increase anywhere in Britain’ of the species. There have been similar recent population increase observations in the East Midlands in places such as South Lincolnshire on the edge of the fens (see below). > It is worth looking at why records of this bee are showing an increase in certain

7 areas of the East Midlands as this may inform strategies to help the bee elsewhere. There are a couple of potential explanations: firstly it should be noted that the sympathetically managed areas of the Fens would probably have been an important refuge and therefore key to its survival during the main period of agricultural intensification in the UK and will continue to be so in the surrounding sea of intensive farmland. This cannot be the only explanation however since the bee is now shown to be doing well in farmland also. This has been attributed to stewardship schemes that aim to enhance agricultural landscapes for wildlife, with pollen and nectar mix options that include a high proportion of clovers (Edwards, 2013). B. ruderatus is showing a strong preference for areas sown with these mixes so that in some formerly ‘bumblebee poor’ areas where these mixes have subsequently been sown, B. ruderatus appears to be returning (Anon, 2010). It should also be noted that historically, this bee may have been recorded as similar species in certain areas, and so estimating declines and increases in those areas can be difficult. > In a specific initiative in South Lincolnshire, the Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board commissioned a report on an area of their land (includes a mile of ditch), part of Risegate Eau, near Gosberton Clough. The area is currently managed by a team of local volunteers and supports a population of B.ruderatus. The report aimed to deliver ways to enhance and improve biodiversity in the area and thanks to local bee recorders’ awareness-raising and advice, is quite heavily geared towards supporting B. ruderatus. The management plans to achieve the project goals include: only heavily managing the south side of the bank, leaving the north bank which is rich in flora, including White Dead-Nettle and only mowing this every other year and even then not until the very end of the summer. The report also sets out plans to improve the watercourse by including a small pond which will promote the spread of plants such as Yellow Iris, Comfrey and Marsh Woundwort on which B. ruderatus thrives. This strategy will benefit many other bees and insects not justB. ruderatus.

Recommendations

8 appropriate (and reachable) resources throughout the bee’s life cycle, i.e. at least April to September. > If any management is undertaken then monitoring of its effectiveness bylocal authorities, local recorders and local wildlife groups should be undertaken. > Local people to plant ‘bee-friendly’ plants throughout the bee’s life cycle in their gardens, particularly Clover, White-Dead Nettle and Comfrey. > Local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their local plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. > UK Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat in new developments. This would be in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain. > Local people in the region can join local habitat creation campaigns such as the Friends of the Earth ‘Bee Worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a Bee Action Photo: Bombus ruderatus male on mallow, Fens, Plan. Norfolk, June 2007. © Nick Owens. References

Anonymous (2010) Species Management Sheet: Large Garden Bumblebee (Bombus ruderatus). Buglife. Edwards, M. (2001) Bombus ruderatus. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Edwards, M. (2013) Personal Communication. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. Falk, S. (2002) Rare Bumblebees: Bombus humilis and B. ruderatus. Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Local Biodiversity Action Plan. Warwickshire.gov.uk/biodiversity. Falk, S. (2011) Warwickshire’s Bumblebees. Warwickshire County Council & Warwickshire Biological Records Centre. Goulson, D. (2010) Bumblebees: behaviour, ecology and conservation. 3rd Ed. Oxford University Press. Hebdon, L. (2013) Personal Communication. JNCC (2010) Bombus ruderatus.UK Priority species Pages V2. Roberts, S. (2013) Personal communication. Scarborough, H. (2012) Assessment and Habitat Enhancement of Gosberton Risegate Eau, Gosberton Clough, south Lincolnshire. Scarborough Nixon Associates Ltd. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

9 London Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Common name: Buff-tailed Bumblebee Scientific name: Bombus terrestris

Description

A fairly large bumblebee with a dark yellow stripe at the front of its thorax, another at the front of its abdomen and a white coloured end to its tail. Workers can be very hard to separate from workers of the closely related white-tailed bumblebee Bombus lucorum but the queens can separated by having a buff tail rather than white and the males in having a black face rather than yellow.

Distribution and Status

> B. terrestris is found throughout Europe and mid to northern Asia as far east as northern Mongolia and as far south as North Africa, albeit at high altitudes. This bumblebee is also found in Australasia and South America, either as the result of deliberate introduction or as a commercial escapee. > Within the U.K it also has a widespread distribution but particularly in England and is found in almost every lowland habitat. London is a key area for the Bombus terrestris. > This is not a rare or threatened bee. © Map copyright: See back cover. Ecology and Behaviour

> B. terrestris queens as a rule emerge from hibernation between February and April (dependent on weather) and start looking for a suitable nest site which will be a disused small mammal burrow underground. Soft dry materials such as grass and moss are gathered into a ball and used to insulate the nest. The queen makes a chamber inside this material with a single entrance. She secretes wax from her abdomen and forms it into a pot which she fills with nectar and next to it a wax covered lump of pollen inside which she lays around 8-16 eggs. > The queen incubates her eggs and after a few days these hatch and the larvae begin feeding on the pollen which must be replenished by the queen as they grow. After a couple of weeks the larvae spin a cocoon and pupate and two more weeks after this hatch into the first all-female ‘worker’ bumblebees. Some of these will stay behind to help rear the next batch of workers but most will leave the nest and forage to bring back pollen and nectar for the nest workers and developing young.

10 Workers visit a whole range of flowers and are thought to have the most diverse Key Facts: diet of any British bumblebee (Edwards, 2009). > The U.K’s only observed wild > Generally, this cycle continues until around June when the queen switches from winter-active bee. producing workers to producing males and new queens (there is a wild-living commercial sub-species however that produces mostly males and many colonies > The colonies of this bumblebee produce no queens at all). These emerge from the nest to be seen between about can contain over 500 individuals. July and October. The young queens feed purposefully order to build-up fat reserves. Around this time they also set about looking for a mate and after mating aim to find Good places to see: In almost any a suitable hibernation spot which is usually some loose soil in which they can burrow lowland habitat of Britain and Ireland. and form a small chamber in which to overwinter, living off the fat reserves they laid In winter the most likely places to down. What remains of the colony i.e. workers, males and the old queen expire from see this species is in the gardens and exhaustion. The cycle begins again the following spring. amenity shrub areas of towns and cities. > Over a quarter of British bee species are known as cleptoparasites or ‘Cuckoo Bees’. This means that they enter the newly established nests of other bees, usually kill the queen and then lay their own eggs. The young, reared by the host workers will only ever be fertile females or males as cuckoo species do not need their own workers. The cuckoo bumblebee Bombus vestalis is the parasite of Bombus terrestris (In England and now recently also recorded in Scotland).

Changes in Behaviour

> Up until around the late 1990’s all B. terrestris (like all other bumblebees) were thought to have one generation per year as described in the above Ecology and Behaviour section. However over about the last 15 years, individuals have been seen foraging in the winter months also. > Whereas queens would normally go into hibernation until early spring, some are now only hibernating (if at all) for a short while, waking early and going into nest establishment, rearing a winter-active colony which will produce a new queen to found another colony in spring. It is not yet really known what how long these queens are hibernating for or what really happens between summer and winter colonies and this needs to be the subject of future study (Ings, 2013). > This behaviour is largely observed in towns and cities of the south of England, notably London (but recorded as far north as Hull) where there is a plentiful supply of energy-rich, winter-flowering ornamental plants such as Arbutus, Mahonia and winter-flowering heather. It has also been observed in some rural areas specifically where there is an abundance of the above mentioned plants. > The causes of this change in behaviour are probably a combination of recent warmer winters and also an increase in winter-flowering plants in parks and gardens that can provide adequate pollen and nectar sources that would not be available in the wild. There is also a possibility that these wild B. terrestris may be hybridising with a commercial sub-species which is known to produce two generations a year.

Photo: Bombus terrestris queen on Thrift, Weyborne, > In 2010 work was undertaken by Queen Mary’s University, London to try and Norfolk. © Nick Owens. determine what the winter bumblebees were feeding on and whether they were finding adequate forage for colony survival. The research involved a combination of radio tagging a colony of a commercial type of B. terrestris to see how much forage it was managing to collect along with standardised observations of B. terrestris in Kew Gardens to see what they were feeding on. > The results showed that most visits were to Mahonia, winter-flowering heather, strawberry tree (Arbutus), Clematis, Rhododendron and honeysuckle. Rates and amount of forage collected indicated that bees could match, if not surpass, the foraging capabilities of spring /summer colonies (Stelzer et al, 2010). The reason Mahonia is ideal for winter bees is because there are different varieties that produce lots of nectar and different times (from October – March) so there is a good nectar supply throughout the winter (Ings, 2013).

11 Causes for Concern

> Although it seems unusual behaviour here, in the warmer parts of the continent, sub-species of Bombus terrestris regularly produce two or more generations per year, one of which will be active over winter. > As previously discussed, the change in behaviour of B. terrestris could be linked to climate change, however much more research and data collection would need to be carried out before such assumptions are made. Carlton (2012) notes that there is even a record of the phenomenon from 1957 and suggests that it could be a behaviour that has always been going on in warmer winters but it has simply gone unnoticed. If it was taking place historically and was unnoticed then it would have been a pretty rare phenomenon and it is certainly more common now (Ings, 2013). > Stelzer et al (2010) notes that even though it might be tempting for the public to grow winter-flowering plants to ‘help’ the winter bumblebees, this may not necessarily be beneficial. This is because if the number of winter colonies increases, the new queens produced from them may occupy most of the optimal nesting habitats in those areas, thereby out competing queens of other bumblebee species that are looking for nesting sites when they emerge from hibernation in the spring. Again, more research is needed. > This behaviour could also increase the density of bee parasites over winter which could subsequently increase the spread of these parasites to the spring colonies (Ings, 2013). > It is also a risky strategy for the bees because if the winter turns particularly bad (as seen the last few years), colonies can be wiped out. This is not really a problem at the moment since so few colonies are winter active but if the proportion of winter colonies increases there could a detrimental effect of theB. terrestris population (Ings, 2013). Top: Mahonia flowers © Thinkstock > If winters continue to get warmer, other pollinators (particularly other species of Bottom: Garden, South London © Amelia Collins bumblebee) may also start producing winter colonies and this has the potential to cause plants to flower at other times of the year, producing a change in the overall plant-pollinator system.

Research and public action needed

> The key to finding out if whether and howB. terrestris is responding to warmer winters and also if winter-active pollinators will have an impact on the plant- pollinator system as a whole in the U.K is simply to build extensively on the preliminary research that has already been done. > The public can also help by submitting any records they have of winter-active bees. The Bees Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS) is asking people to submit records and if they can add any additional information that can help answer the following questions: 1. Where in Britain (or Ireland) does winter activity occur? 2. Are species other than Bombus terrestris involved? 3. Is winter activity purely an urban phenomenon? 4. Which species of plants are visited? 5. What is the nature of visitation – nectaring, pollen collecting or both? 6. Which caste or sex is involved in visitation? 7. What are the best weather conditions and temperature for activity? 8. What happens between summer and winter colonies? Are queens active or hibernating? Records can be submitted here http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=content/winter- active-bombus-terrestris-data-gathering

12 Recommendations to help all bees

Bombus terrestris is doing well but many of our wild bee species are facing dramatic decline. The report authors agree with the need for a Bee Action Plan to address urgent actions to be taken by the UK government, as called for by Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. There are a number of actions that can be undertaken to help wild bees in the UK in general including: > UK Government to introduce a national monitoring programme to monitor populations of wild pollinators including declining, threatened or rare bee species. Data should also be submitted to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS). > Members of public and local recorders to raise awareness of declining bee species to local conservation organisations, local authorities, local MP and landowners where the species are either: already found, may occur in or could potentially inhabit in the future. > Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities to advise landowners to encourage habitat management which promotes bee-friendly habitat, e.g. sowing bee-friendly plants and to install a grazing/mowing regime that avoids flowers being removed until late summer/early autumn. > Government agencies, wildlife organisations and local authorities to encourage farmers to take up the most beneficial Agri-Environment options such as pollen & nectar mix sowing and sympathetic grazing regimes that ensure there are always the appropriate resources throughout the spring and summer. > If any management is undertaken local recorders and/or local wildlife organisations to monitor its effectiveness. > Local people to plant ‘bee-friendly’ plants in their gardens. > Local authorities to record any important sites for bees in their local plans and ensure policies are then in place to protect these populations. > Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee-friendly habitat when carrying out developments and this would fall in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain. > Local people can join local habitat creation campaigns such as Friends of the Earth ‘Bee worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a Bee Action Plan.

References

Edwards, M. (2009) Bombus terrestris. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Goulson, D. (2010) Bumblebees: behaviour, ecology and conservation. 3rd Ed. Oxford University Press. Ings, T. (2013) Personal Communication. Ings, T. (2010) Winter-active Bumblebees. Hymettus-BWARS Information Sheet. Roberts, S. (2013) Personal Communication. Stelzer, R.J., Chittka, L., Carlton, M. & Ings, T.C. (2010) Winter Active Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) Achieve High Foraging Rates in Urban Britain. PLOS ONE. Public Library of Science. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

13 North East Bilberry Bumblebee

Common name: Bilberry/Blaeberry Bumblebee Scientific name: Bombus monticola Description

This small bumblebee has a red tail and quite round face with a short tongue. There is a yellow band across both ends of its thorax (the front one being wider) and the red tail, although common to several other species of bumblebee, is diagnostic in covering most of the abdomen in this species. The males can be distinguished from the females by their yellow-haired faces.

Distribution and Status

> B. monticola is only found at the higher latitudes or altitudes of Western Europe including parts of Scandinavia, the Alps, the Pyrenees, Northern Italy and the Balkan mountains. > It was formerly quite widespread in the British Isles (although never in the South East) but it is feared that its range may retreat to the North and West.

North East is a key area for As mentioned, B. monticola prefers high altitude, upland habitats such as mountain the Bombus monticola. and moorland but is also happy at lower altitudes if at a higher latitude, for © Map copyright: See back cover. example, it has been recorded at sea-level in Scotland and Northern England. > There is evidence to suggest it also needs access to grassland habitats and does not do well in pure moorland alone. There also seems to be a strong affinity with highland areas rich in Bilberry (one of the bee’s favourite pollen sources).

Ecology and Behaviour

> B. monticola queens emerge from hibernation in April and start looking for a suitable nest site which may be under vegetation and occasionally just under the soil surface. Once this is located, nearby soft dry materials such as grass and moss are gathered into a ball and used to insulate the nest. The queen makes a chamber inside this material with a single entrance. She secretes wax from her abdomen and forms it into a pot which she fills with nectar and next to it a wax covered lump of pollen (almost exclusively from flowers of Bilberry or clover) inside which she lays around 8-16 eggs.

14 > The queen incubates her eggs and after a few days these hatch and the larvae begin Key Facts: feeding on the pollen which must be replenished by the queen as they grow. After a couple of weeks the larvae spin a cocoon and pupate and two more weeks after this > A generally high altitude hatch into the first all-female ‘worker’ bumblebees. Some of these will stay behind to bumblebee. The species name help rear the next batch of workers but most will leave the nest and forage to bring monticola means ‘mountaineer’. back pollen and nectar for the nest workers and developing young. These workers > Strongly associated with the can be seen from May onwards visiting flowers of Bilberry but also Sallow, Bramble, Bilberry. Raspberry, Bell Heather and legumes such as Clover and Bird’s-Foot Trefoil. Good places to see: Most upland > This cycle continues until around June when the queen switches from producing areas with an abundance of Bilberry. workers to producing males and new queens. These emerge from the nest to be seen Dipton Woods, Northumberland is a between about July and October. The young queens feed purposefully on pollen and particularly good spot. nectar in order to build-up fat reserves. Around this time they also set about looking for a mate and after mating, aim to find a suitable hibernation spot which is usually some loose soil in which they can burrow and form a small chamber in which to overwinter, living off the fat reserves they laid down. What remains of the colony i.e. workers, males and the old queen, expires from exhaustion. The cycle begins again the following spring. > Over a quarter of British bee species are known as cleptoparasites or ‘Cuckoo Bees’. This means that they enter the newly established nests of other bees, usually kill the queen and then lay their own eggs. The young, reared by the host workers will only ever be fertile females or males as cuckoo species do not need their own workers. The cuckoo bumblebee Bombus sylvestris is the parasite of Bombus monticola.

Photo: Bombus monticola, Peak District. © Tim Melling

15 Causes of Decline and Conservation

> Historically, B. monticola was found in many upland areas of the North East wherever Bilberry was found in abundance as well as some Forestry Commission and private forest sites that were planted on acid bog or moorland. > The main causes of the observed quite rapid decline in B. monticola are thought to be a combination of habitat loss and degradation as a result of development or under/over management, as well as possibly effects of climate change, both of which reduce or eliminate the flowering plants it needs to complete its life-cycle, in this case, Bilberry and legumes such as Clover and Bird’s-Foot Trefoil. > Within the North East this bee is probably less affected by habitat loss and degradation than in other places since areas of upland in this region are less subjected to those types of pressures. The region also supports a fairly well connected mosaic of good habitat that the bee should easily be able to disperse around. > A local recorder spent the 1990s extensively surveying the uplands of Northumberland and Durham and from the mid 90s recorded a successional decline in the bee year on year. He noticed that the declines coincided with a weather pattern of mild early springs followed by frosts in late spring. This pattern brings the queen bumblebee out of hibernation in March and April but when the cold snaps hit at the end of April, their food plants often die. If queens have not already located and set-up a nest then they are unlikely to survive since their fat reserves are normally too depleted by that point to go back into hibernation. > The recorder reported the year 2000 to be the worst for the species and noted its absence at many of the sites where it was usually seen. > Unlike in some other parts of its UK range, numbers since then have been very slowly recovering despite further years since of warm periods followed by cold during the spring. National Park and Forestry Commission employed bumblebee recorders Top: Bombus monticola worker on wild thyme, North however still note that the bee remains more thinly distributed than a couple of Yorks Moors. © Louise Hislop decades ago. Bottom: Bombus monticola in flight over a bilberry bush, Hade Edge, West Yorkshire. © Tim Melling > One of the best places to see B. monticola in the North East is Dipton Woods in Northumberland; despite suffering the same decline over the 1990s, the population is still fairly healthy and productive, the site supporting good stands of Bilberry. This could be because the upland habitats in the North East are healthier and better connected than in other regions of the UK but it is very hard to say. > Despite the decline of B. monticola in the UK, it has appeared in Ireland for the first time over the last few decades, being first recorded in 1974 in the Wicklow Mountains. It probably arrived there by being blown over from Wales and has since also established itself in the upland and heathland areas of Carlow, Wexford, Antrim (probably blown over from Scotland), Tyrone and Derry in Northern Ireland. Due to its decline in the rest of the British Isles, the Irish populations of B. monticola are now very important.

Recommendations

16 > Local recorders and wildlife groups to record the species and submit the data to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS). > Local recorders and wildlife groups to identify any corridors of potentially suitable habitat between existing populations and relate this to the species’ dispersal distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored by local authorities, wildlife groups, or recorders. If it is deemed particularly important, the local authorities should incorporate it into their local plans to provide protection for the corridor and the species dependent upon it. > Wildlife groups to continue to raise awareness of B. monticola with local authorities, local MPs and land owners/managers where the bee occurs or where it could potentially occur. > Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities giving advice to landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to promote the bee’s required habitat e.g. sowing/ planting of Bilberry and leguminous plants and installation of a grazing/mowing regime that avoids removing forage flowers such as clovers, heathers and vetches until late summer/early autumn but also avoids undermanaging which would lead to scrub invasion. > Government agencies and local authorities to encourage farmers near important B. monticola areas to provide Agri-Environment options to support the bees, such as pollen and nectar seed mixes of leguminous plants. > If any management is undertaken then monitoring of its effectiveness bylocal authorities, local recorders and local wildlife groups should be undertaken. > Local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their local plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. > UK Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat in new developments. This would be in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain. > Local people in the region could also join local habitat creation campaigns such as the Friends of the Earth ‘Bee Worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a British Bee Action Plan.

References

Eales, H. (2013) Personal Communication. Edwards, M. (2012) Bombus monticola. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Fitzpatrick, U., Murray, T.E., Paxton, R.J. & Brown, M.J.F. (2006) The state of Ireland’s Bees. Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Photo: Bombus monticola, in a Dandelion. © Tim Melling Goulson, D. (2010) Bumblebees: behaviour, ecology and conservation. 3rd Ed. Oxford University Press. Roberts, S. (2013) Personal Communication. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

17 North West Wall Mason Bee

Common name: Wall Mason Bee Scientific name: Osmia parietina

Description

This small but robust black bee (8-9mm) has golden to brown coloured hair covering the face and thorax. The abdomen is predominantly black with a sparse covering of golden to pale hairs.

Distribution and Status

> Widely distributed throughout northern Eurasia. > In the U.K restricted to North West Britain with most recent records from North West England, north and west Wales and southern and northern Scotland. > Associated with semi-natural and unimproved grassland (including coastal machair in Scotland), open post-industrial sites and woodland clearings where there is the presence of the leguminous plant Bird’s-foot Trefoil which is its main source of pollen in Northern England and Wales. North West is a key area O. parietina is listed as Rare1 in the Red Data Book for the British Isles by Shirt (1987) for the Osmia parietina. and Falk (1991) and is on the England Biodiversity Strategy S41 species list2 (previously © Map copyright: See back cover. the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP).

1 A species which at present is not considered endangered or vulnerable but is at risk or is believed to be rare due to only recently being discovered. 2 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in England that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives.

18 Key Facts: Ecology and Behaviour > A rare and declining mason bee, > Like most other mason bees, O. parietina nests in cavities. They will utilise sheltered, in England only found in the warm and/or south-facing dead wood and dry stone walls. North West and only where there > One of the favoured nesting habitats in the North West is broken limestone paving. is the presence of the wild flower, Bird’s-foot trefoil. > The nest is probably constructed with chewed plant material. > The bee’s Latin species name > Egg cells are provisioned with pollen from Bird’s-foot Trefoil and possible other parietina means ‘old walls’ and leguminous plants. refers to its habit of nesting in old > The species will collect nectar from a variety of plants such as Bramble and Bugle. dry-stone walls, although it will nest in other cavities too. > Both sexes are seen from May-July. Best places to see: Gait Barrows > O. parietina is known to be parasitized by the wasps Chrysura hirusta and Sapyga NNR, Canforth Slag Banks and Hutton quinquepunctata. Roof Slags, Lancs. Causes of Decline and Conservation

> The threats and causes of decline to this bee are likely to be on-going land use change and agricultural intensification. > Optimal habitat has been and is being lost through conversion of flower-rich grassland to more intensive agricultural and grassland systems or a lack of grazing/ cutting leading to grasses, scrub and other plants outcompeting wild flowers. > Some sites could still potentially support the bee but areas of the correct resources are so fragmented that populations are unable to disperse to them. > The reason it fairs better in certain areas of the North West is probably because of sensitive grassland management there. Examples of this include grazing or cutting different areas on rotation so that there are always nesting sites and flower rich areas available throughout the bee’s life cycle, using cattle for grazing rather than sheep which are much less damaging or delaying grazing/cutting until after the bee’s cycle. > Another factor contributing to the bee faring better in North-western England is due to the presence of better quality and/or more nesting habitat. In the North West this is often damaged limestone pavement or other alkali-rich bare rock. > In order for any management to be effective, we need to understand the ecology and behaviour of the species better. In 2011 the aculeate conservation group Hymettus undertook work to look into the characteristics of the habitats in which O. parietina occurs. Four sites in Cumbria and Lancashire were visited but no individuals were found. However around the same time, a female was recorded at Warton Crag, Lancashire for the first time.

Photo: Osmia parietina © Carl Clee Recommendations

The report authors agree with the need for a Bee Action Plan to address urgent actions to be taken by the UK government, as called for by Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. Further potential strategies to assist Osmia parietina include the following: > UK Government to introduce a national programme to monitor populations of wild pollinators including declining, threatened or rare bee species including O. parietina. > Local recorders and/or wildlife organisations to carry out further survey work of existing populations and identify any new sites where the species was previously unknown or hasn’t been seen in a while. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to record the species and submit the data to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS).

19 > Local recorders and/or wildlife organisations to carry out further investigation into the autecology1 of known populations so that their habitat requirements are better understood and any beneficial management undertaken can be more informed. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to identify any corridors of potentially suitable habitat between existing populations and relate this to published data on the species’ dispersal distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored by local authorities local wildlife groups/organisations, or recorders. If it is deemed particularly important the local authorities are recommended to incorporate it into their local plans to provide protection for the corridor and the species dependent upon it. > The public, local recorders and wildlife groups to raise awareness of O. parietina with other members of the public, local conservation organisations, local authorities, MPs and land owners where the bee does or could potentially occur. > Government agencies, wildlife organisations and local authorities to give advice to landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to encourage appropriate habitat management incentives such as grazing regimes. These would support the bee’s nesting habitat and forage plant, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, ensuring there is always the appropriate resources at the critical times of its life cycle. Using cattle instead of sheep for grazing (cattle are less damaging) and delaying grazing or cutting until after the bee’s life cycle, i.e. August would be beneficial (it would be even more beneficial to delay until Autumn as this would also ensure forage for a range of bees that fly later thanO. parietina). Farmers should be encouraged to leave sheltered, south facing patches of alkali-rich bare soil, broken paving and dry-stone walls for existing or potential nesting sites. Top: Skipper butterfly on Bird’s-foot Trefoil, County Durham. © Tony Roberts > Government agencies, wildlife organisations and local authorities to encourage Bottom: Field of Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Clover. farmers to select Agri-Environment Scheme options beneficial to pollinators, © Katrina J Wiese particularly sowing of legume rich pollen and nectar mixes. > Local wildlife groups, recorders or local authorities to trial artificial bee nest boxes since they are often successfully taken-up by species of Osmia and could help in areas where a lack of adequate nesting sites has been identified. > If any management is undertaken then monitoring of its effectiveness bylocal recorders, wildlife groups or local authorities should be undertaken. > Local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their local plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. > UK Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat when carrying out developments. This would be in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain. > Local people in the region could also join local campaigns such as Friends of the Earth ‘Bee worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a Bee Action Plan.

1 The interaction of a single species (or individual) with its environment.

20 References

Clee, C. (2013) Personal Communication. Edwards, M. (2012) Osmia parietina. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. JNCC (2010) Osmia parietina.UK Priority species Pages V2. Lee, P. (2011) Hymettus Ltd Research Report for 2011. Hymettus Ltd. Roberts, S. (2013) Personal Communication. Shirt (1987) Red Data Book of British Insects. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

Photo: Bird’s Foot Trefoil

21 Northern Ireland Northern Colletes

Common name: Northern Colletes Scientific name: Colletes floralis

Description

The females are 9-12mm long and have reddish-golden hair (with some black mixed in) on the thorax and a black abdomen with distinct pale hair bands. The males are similar but smaller at 8-12mm and generally paler.

Distribution and Status

> C. floralis has a boreo-alpine distribution across Europe and Asia, of which the population of the UK and Ireland is thought to represent as much as 50% (JNCC, 2010). It is uncommon throughout almost all of its range. > The first specimenrecorded in the UK/Ireland was in south west Scotland in 1899 and it went on to be recorded throughout the Western Isles and Ireland. A few individuals from a number of sites have also been found in Cumbria, England since 1994. > There has been an observed loss of the bee from five areas of Scotland and Ireland Northen Ireland is a key area for the Colletes floralis. during the 20th century (JNCC, 2010). © Map copyright: See back cover. > Ireland holds a very important population of this bee and in fact is the only bee more widespread in Ireland than in Great Britain. > In the UK C. floralis has a predominantly coastal distribution and is found in habitats such as sand dune, marram dune and machair (Western Isles); all where there is nearby flower-rich grassland. However in more southern Europe it is a montane species, found in the Alps and at high altitude generally. This bee was originally thought fairly widespread in NI but after a severe decline was found again for the first time in 70 years in 2003 (Nelson, 2006). Populations have since been recorded at five sites along theAntrim and Londonderry coast. C. floralis is not listed in the Red Data Book for the British Isles (Shirt, 1987) although Falk (1991) suggested that in future editions it should be included and listed as Rare1 (pRDB3). It is listed as Vulnerable on the Irish Red List2 (Fitzpatrick et al, 2006). It is on the Northern Ireland Priority Species List3, the Scottish Biodiversity List4 and the England Biodiversity Strategy S41 Species List5 (previously the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP).

22 1 A species which at present is not considered endangered or vulnerable but is at risk or is believed to be rare due to only recently being discovered. Key Facts: 2 A species with population numbers that are low and declining throughout its range. Likely to become Endangered if the adverse factors affecting it continue. > The only bee more widespread in 3 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in Ireland that should be taken into Ireland than in Great Britain. consideration during planning and development initiatives. 4 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in Scotland that should be taken > The population of the UK and into consideration during planning and development initiatives. 5 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in England that should be taken into Ireland represents about 50% consideration during planning and development initiatives. of the world population (JNCC, 2010). > Recorded in Northern Ireland (NI) Ecology and Behaviour in 2003 for the first time in 70 years. > The female C. floralis usually excavates nesting burrows from south-facing bare or sparsely vegetated sandy soil, at the end of which she builds a cluster of five or six > No decline statistic available. nest partitions or ‘cells’. In each cell the female lays an egg provisioned with pollen Best place to see: On the north coast and a little nectar that the growing bee (larva) will feed on. at Portstewart, Londonderry. > It will then undergo metamorphosis, forming a pupa in which it totally transforms, later breaking through its cell to emerge from the burrow as the adult. Females will usually nest very close together at the same site in an aggregation; however they still ‘work’ completely independently from one another and are not social insects. > Emergence of the first individuals takes place around mid-June; the males first followed the females. After mating takes place the females start building their nest burrows, laying eggs and provisioning them with food. > This bee will collect pollen and nectar from a range of plants but does seem to have a preference for plants of the Family Apiaceae or carrot and parsley family. > The foraging and nesting activity of C. floralis will continue until around the start of August by which time all individuals will have died; the males first followed by the females. The young overwinter in their cells and emerge in the summer as their parents did the previous year and the whole cycle begins again.

Causes of Decline and Conservation

> The threats and causes of decline to this bee are likely to be on-going land use change and agricultural intensification. > Optimal habitat has and is being lost through conversion of flower-rich grassland to more intensive agricultural and grassland systems or a lack of grazing/cutting leading to grasses, scrub and other plants outcompeting wild flowers. > Habitat has also been lost or degraded as a result of leisure and tourism infrastructure development on the dune systems such as golf courses. > Some sites could still potentially support the bee but areas of suitable habitat are so fragmented that populations are unable to disperse to them. C. floralis is thought to Photo: Colletes floralis, female, foraging on Hemlock have a dispersal distance of <500m and so even established nesting aggregations Water-dropwort. © Jeremy Early need more suitable habitat close by in case the patch they’re in becomes sub- optimal for any reason (Lee, 2011). > After the rediscovery of the bee in NI in 2003, extensive surveys were carried out to identify populations and five were found (all on the north coast): Ballymaclary nature reserve, Portstewart, White Park Bay, Bushfoot Strand and Umbra nature reserve (in 2004). Where the bee was previously recorded in 1933 at Portballintrae it was no longer found due to loss of suitable habitat there (Nelson, 2006). > The reason it fares better in certain areas of Northern Ireland is probably because of sensitive grassland management there. Examples of this include grazing/cutting different areas on rotation so that there are always nesting sites and flower rich areas available throughout the bee’s life cycle, using cattle for grazing rather than sheep as they are much less damaging or delaying grazing/cutting until after the bee’s cycle.

23 > Fortunately all the known sites in NI for this bee fall within either the Magilligan Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Bann Estuary SAC, North Antrim Coast SAC or Runkerry Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSSI). > A habitat management plan that includes sympathetic practices such as those listed above has been implemented for each of these areas, as well as for some areas where the bee could potentially inhabit in the future (Anon, 2006). > The populations at Bushfoot Strand and White Park Bay were found to be small and therefore possibly more vulnerable to disturbance or changes in habitat management (Anon, 2006). > In 2011 the aculeate conservation organisation Hymettus collated work into the ecology and requirements of C. floralis in order to better inform management plans. They found a positive relationship of nesting sites between distance of the high tide mark and the start of sand dune vegetation. This means that any populations situated where this gap is shorter are possibly at risk from storm surges and may need some form of protection – it would require further investigation (Lee, 2011). > There may also be a change in suitability of habitat throughout this bee’s range as a result of climate change. > In 2010 Queen’s University, Belfast published findings of their research into the genetic diversity of populations of C. floralis. They found that populations were genetically quite different from each other as a result of isolation; either by sea, land or an urban area. They suggested that any future management plans should be site specific since different populations may become so genetically distinct from one another that they actually respond differently to changes in habitat management or environmental conditions (Davis et al, 2010). Hymettus also suggested that where feasible, habitat corridors or ‘stepping’ stones’ such as those discussed earlier should be implemented between genetically isolated populations to increase gene flow (Lee, 2006). Top: Queen Anne’s Lace flowers. © Thinkstock Bottom: North coast at Portstewart, Londonderry. © Deck Accessory Recommendations

The report authors agree with the need for a UK wide Bee Action Plan to address urgent actions to be taken by the UK government, as called for by Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. Specific targetted action from the Northern Ireland Assembly in areas where it has devolved powers would also be needed to help C. foralis, this could usefully be co- ordinated through a Pollinator Plan for Northern Ireland as has happened in Wales. Additional potential strategies to assist C. floralis might include the following: > UK Government to introduce a UK wide monitoring programme, in collaboration with devolved nations, to monitor populations of wild pollinators including declining, threatened or rare bee species such as C. floralis. > Local recorders, local authorities and/or wildlife organisations to maintain survey work of existing populations and also identify any new sites where the species was previously unknown or could potentially inhabit, such as the east coast at Murlaugh and Killard Point where there is suitable habitat and from where the bee is found not too far south at County Louth, ROI. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to record the species and submit the data to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording society (BWARS). > Local recorders and wildlife groups to identify any corridors of potentially suitable habitat between existing populations and relate this to published data on the species’ dispersal distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored by either local authorities, local wildlife groups/organisations, or recorders. If deemed particularly important, the NI Department of the Environment should incorporate it into the relevant Development Plan to ensure protection of the corridor and the species dependent upon it.

24 > The public, local recorders and NGOs/wildlife groups to continue to raise awareness of C. floralis with other members of the public, local conservation organisations, local authorities, local MLAs, MPs and land owners/managers where the bee occurs or where it could potentially occur. > Northern Ireland agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities who advise landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to encourage habitat management which promotes the bee’s required habitat, e.g. to install a grazing/mowing regime that avoids flowers being removed until late summer or early autumn and/or areas grazed on rotation so that there is a mosaic of habitats and food plants available nearby throughout the bee’s life cycle. For the reasons mentioned previously, any habitat management plans should be site-specific in case populations respond differently. > Northern Ireland agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities to encourage farmers to select Agri-Environment scheme options that benefit pollinators particularly sowing of pollen and nectar mixes. > If any management is undertaken then local recorders, local wildlife groups or local authorities should monitor its effectiveness. > Northern Ireland Department of the Environment, in consultation with local authorities, to record any new important sites located that are not already protected for the bee in the relevant Development Plan and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. > Northern Ireland Department of the Environment and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee-friendly habitat when carrying out developments. > Local people can join campaigns such as Friends of the Earth ‘Bee worlds’ project and sign their petition for a Bee Action Plan.

References

Anon (2006) Northern Ireland Species Action Plan: Northern Colletes, Colletes floralis. Environment & Heritage Service. Davis, E.S., Murray, T.E., Fitzpatrick, U., Brow, M.J.F. & Paxton, R.J. (2010) Landscape Effects on Extremely Fragmented Populations of a Rare Solitary Bee, Colletes floralis. Molecular Ecology 19: 4922-4935. Else, G.R. (2012) Colletes floralis. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. Fitzpatrick, U., Murray, T.E., Byrne, A., Paxton, R.J. & Brown, M.J.F. (2006). Regional Red List of Irish Bees. JNCC (2010) Colletes floralis.UK Priority species Pages V2. Lee, P. (2011) Hymettus Ltd Research Report for 2011. Hymettus Ltd. Nelson, B. (2006) Northern Ireland Priority Species: Colletes floralis. National Museums Northern Ireland. Roberts, S. (2013) Personal Communication. Shirt (1987) Red Data Book of British Insects. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

25 Scotland Great Yellow Bumblebee

Common name: Great Yellow Bumblebee Scientific name: Bombus distinguendus

Key Facts: Description > A Flagship conservation This is a distinctive and large bumblebee with a long face and tongue. Queens, workers species in Scotland. and males all share the same colour pattern of pale mustard-yellow or brownish yellow hairs that cover the whole body except for an even strip of black hairs running across the > Estimated to have been lost from thorax between the wings. 80% of its historic U.K range (Appleby, 2013). Best places to see: Caithness Distribution and Status (e.g. Balnakeil and Dounreay), Outer Hebrides, Orkney, Coll > Worldwide B. distinguendus has a northern Palearctic distribution and is one of and Tiree. several internationally declining bumblebee species. > In the British Isles it has lost around 80% of its range (Appleby, 2013) in the last half century. This bumblebee once had a nationwide distribution but its distribution is now restricted to the north and the west of Scotland. It is found on the Scottish Islands of Orkney, The Outer Hebrides and Coll and Tiree of the Inner Hebrides. It also has a fragmented distribution on the mainland in the Northern Highland areas of Caithness and Sutherland. > B. distinguendus requires flower-rich habitats below a 100m altitude. It has a preference for open grasslands with an abundance of suitable flowers such as clovers, vetches and knapweeds that it can forage on throughout the nesting cycle. The flower-rich machair grassland systems of north and west Scotland are an important habitat for this bumblebee but it is also found in more productive agricultural systems in Caithness (also on the sea cliffs here where there is enough marsh thistle) and Orkney. Bombus distinguendus is on the Scottish Biodiversity List1 and listed in the Red Data Book by Falk (1991) as Nationally Notable or Nationally Scarce (Nb)2. 1 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in Scotland that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives. 2 A status given to species found in only 31-100 10km grid squares of the U.K.

Ecology and Behaviour

> B. distinguendus queens emerge late from hibernation and are usually seen from mid-June looking for a suitable nest site. This nest will be underground either under

26 tussocks of grass or in a disused small mammal burrow such as an old wood mouse nest or a rabbit burrow. The queen makes a chamber inside this material with a single entrance. She secretes wax from her abdomen and forms it into a pot which she fills with nectar and next to it a wax covered lump of pollen inside which she lays around 8-16 eggs. > The queen incubates her eggs and after a few days these hatch and the larvae begin feeding on the pollen which must be replenished by the queen as they grow. After a couple of weeks the larvae spin a cocoon and pupate and two more weeks after this, hatch into the first all-female ‘worker’ bumblebees. Some of these will stay behind to help rear the next batch of workers but most will leave the nest and forage to bring back pollen and nectar for the nest workers and developing young. July represents the main period of colony growth. Workers are usually seen from mid-July and the nest will reach a peak by late July with up to 40-50 workers. > This cycle continues until late July when the queen switches from producing workers to the rearing of males and new daughter queens. The males emerge from the nest in early August and daughter queens can to be seen between mid- August and early September. Soon after emerging from the nest young daughter queens will mate and then forage purposefully on pollen and nectar in order to build-up fat reserves. Mated daughter queens will search for a suitable hibernation spot. The fertilised queens dig into loose soil in which they can burrow and form a small hibernation chamber to overwinter in living off the fat reserves they laid down. Hibernation chambers are often made in deep plant litter or under grass tussocks in soil or sand dunes. > During late August and September the remainder of the nest, the workers, males and the old queen die. The bumblebee life cycle will begin again the following year with the emergence of the hibernating queens in June.

Causes of Decline and Conservation

> The main cause of decline for this bumblebee is the loss of flower-rich habitats due to the intensification of farming and grazing practices. > B. distinguendus requires a mosaic of habitats to provide suitable nest sites, a continuous supply of flowers from May to September and suitable sites for hibernation. > The current distribution of B. distinguendus in the north and west of Scotland probably reflects the distribution of the internationally significant machair habitat which is only found in the north and west of Britain and Ireland. Machair supports a diversity and abundance of flowers that reflects the soil structure and composition. The diversity and abundance of flowers in machair systems are maintained by the sensitive and sympathetic crofting practice. > Croft is a Gaelic term used to describe a small area of enclosed land and they Photo: Bombus distinguendus male on spear thistle, are only found in certain parts of Scotland. Crofting areas include Caithness, Orkneys. © Nick Owens. Sutherland and the Hebrides. Traditional crofting practices produce a very low intensity form of agriculture where small scale rotational cropping and livestock production are combined, creating a mosaic of habitats. Cattle and sheep graze hills and moorland in the summer and then lowland grassland areas (in-bye) in winter. The use of fertilisers and pesticides is limited and fallow areas are used to rest nutrient poor soil. > The abandonment of crofts and traditional crofting practices poses an on-going threat. The machair grasslands of Coll, Tiree, the Outer Hebrides and north west Sutherland are particularly threatened by further enclosure, shorter rotations and livestock grazing of in-bye land all year round, especially by sheep. This is particularly damaging as it reduces the availability of flowers. In the mixed farming landscapes of Caithness and Orkney B. distinguendus survives on a patchwork of habitats including flower-rich non-intensively grazed land, field margins, red clover-rye silage crops and semi-natural habitats of machair, road verges, coastal grassland, heath and marsh. In these areas the loss of habitat through under-management or

27 improvement poses a threat, along with the further intensification of agricultural practices. > If populations of B. distinguendus are isolated and fragmented from each other because suitable habitats are not available inbreeding is more likely to occur. Inbreeding can reduce genetic fitness and result in a reduction in reproductive success and leave populations prone to disease and parasites. This is of particular concern in the remaining mainland populations of B. distinguendus. > Survey work to establish distribution of B. distinguendus for the UK Biodiversity Action Plan was carried out 1994-2004 as well as a Tetrad level survey of Caithness. > A partnership between Scottish National Heritage, the RSPB, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) and Hymettus was set-up under the Species Action Framework to target conservation of B. distinguendus. The project was for 5 years and very recently came to an end. Under it the following actions were carried out:

■ A single database of all verified records of B. distinguendus from 1990 onwards was updated on the NBN Gateway.

■ At Dounreay a bumblebee meadow and pollen and nectar plots were created.

■ Interpretation boards were installed there as well as at at Balnakeil Village.

■ 30 individuals were trained in bumblebee identification and a handbook was produced for recorders.

■ Interpretation materials were produced in English and Gaelic including posters, leaflets and an education pack for schools. > A Pollen and Nectar for Bumblebees project in Caithness (BBCT) involved 0.25ha flower-rich plots being established on eleven farms between Reay and Wick. During this three year project, (2010-2012), volunteers from the Caithness Biodiversity Group monitored each plot between May and September, and this resulted in new Top: Bombus distinguendus on meadow vetchling, Lewis, Outer Hebrides © Nick Owens records for B. distinguendus. The group will continue to monitor the Caithness Bottom: Bombus distinguendus nest site, Ness, populations despite the end of the project. Lewis, Outer Hebrides © Nick Owens Recommendations

The report authors agree with the need for a Bee Action Plan to address urgent actions to be taken by the UK government, as called for by Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. Specific targetted action from the Scottish Government in areas where it has devolved powers would also be needed to help B distinguendus. Further potential strategies to assist B distinuendus might include the following: > UK Government to introduce a national monitoring programme to monitor populations of wild pollinators in collaboration with devolved Governments including declining, threatened or rare bee species such as B. distinguendius > Local recorders and/or wildlife organisations to continue monitoring of existing populations and identification of any new sites where the species was previously unknown. Tied to this is the encouragement of local recorders and wildlife groups to record the species and submit the data to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording society (BWARS). > Local recorders, amateur naturalists and/or wildlife groups to undertake further studies to establish nesting and hibernation requirements for B. distinguendus. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to identify any corridors of potentially suitable habitat between existing populations and relate this to published data on the species’ dispersal distance and propensity (especially sites further south). This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored and if deemed particularly important the local authorities are recommended to incorporate it into their development plans in order to protect the corridor and the species that depends upon it.

28 > The public, local recorders and NGOs/wildlife groups to continue to raise awareness of B. distinguendus with other members of the public, local conservation organisations, local authorities, local MSPs and MPs and land owners/managers where the bee occurs or where it could potentially occur. > Scottish Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities who advise landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to encourage habitat management which promotes the bee’s required habitat, e.g. to install a grazing/ mowing regime that avoids flowers being removed until early autumn, areas grazed by a combination of sheep and cattle and on rotation so that there is a mosaic of habitats and food plants available nearby until the start of autumn. > Local authorities and/or wildlife groups to develop the capacity to deliver practical habitat management within local communities (such as mowing equipment) to prevent the loss of suitable habitat through under-management. > If any management is undertaken then local recorders, local wildlife organisations or local authorities to monitor its effectiveness. > Scottish Government to provide Agri-Environment options to specifically support B. distinguendus such as seed mixes of clovers, vetches and knapweeds, and to promote these to farmers. > Members of public in B. distinguendus areas encouraged to plant bee-friendly flowers namely clovers, knapweeds and vetches specifically for this bee. > Local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their development plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. > Scottish Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat when carrying out developments in line with Scottish Planning Policy that seeks benefits for species and habitats from new development. > Local people can sign the Friends of the Earth petition for a Bee Action Plan.

References

Appleby, M. (2013) Personal Communication. Benton, T. (2006). Bumblebees. Harper Collins Publishers, London. Charman, T. (2007) Ecology and Conservation Genetics of Bombus distinguendus, the Great yellow Bumblebee. PhD Thesis. University of Cambridge. Dawson, B. & Mabon, B. (2010). Bee Walks. Monitoring Handbook for Volunteers. Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Edwards, M. (2006) Aculeate Information Sheets: How the habitat requirements of BAP aculeates relate to their HAP; 2. Bumblebees, Bombus species Associated with Open Grasslands. Hymettus Ltd. Edwards, M. (2011) Bombus distinguendus. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Edwards, M. & Jenner, M. (2005) Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland. Conservation and Garden Conservation Series. Ocelli. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. Goulson, D. (2010) Bumblebees: behaviour, ecology and conservation. 3rd Ed. Oxford University Press. JNCC (2010) Bombus distinguendus. UK Priority species Pages V2. Macdonald, M. (2013) Personal Communication. MacDonald, M. & Nisbet, G. (2006). Highland Bumblebees. Distribution, Ecology and Conservation. Highland Biological Recording Group, Inverness. Redpath, N., Osgathrope, L., Park, P. & Goulson, D. (Crofting and bumblebee conservation: The impact of land management practice son bumblebee populations in northwest Scotland. Biological Conservation 143 (2010) 492–500. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

29 South East England Potter Flower Bee

Common name: Potter Flower Bee Scientific name: Anthophora retusa

Description

This solitary bee belongs to a group of species known as ‘flower bees’ which at first glance resemble bumblebees. However unlike bumblebees they are not social, hence the term ‘solitary’. They can usually be distinguished by their characteristic flight which is a very fast darting and hovering between flowers, often with their extremely long tongue extended as they approach. The females are very hairy black bees with orangey red hairs on their hind legs. The males on the other hand are a brownish ginger all over leading to a darker tail and have yellow markings on the face. The species is very difficult to tell apart from the widespread Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes but with the help of a hand lens can be distinguished by the yellowy brown rather than black spurs on its hind legs (females). In males A. retusa has fewer yellow markings on its face compared to A. plumipes and also doesn’t have the tuft of hair at the end of its middle leg that A. plumipes has.

South East England Distribution and Status is a key area for the Anthophora retusa. © Map copyright: See back cover. > This bee appears to be undergoing a widespread decline throughout its European range, similar to many bumblebee species. > In the British Isles, the Potter Flower Bee was once widely distributed throughout the South of England but has declined so rapidly and severely that since 1990 it has only been recorded at a handful of sites in Dorset, North Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, East Sussex and North Essex. > This species can be found both inland and on coastal sites where it has a preference for sandy soils. The habitats it usually occupies are places such as dunes, cliffs and commons. The Potter Flower Bee is listed as Endangeredœ in the revised Red Data Book (RDB1) for the British Isles (Falk, 1991) and is on the England Biodiversity Strategy S412 species list (previously the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP)). 1 A status given to species at risk of becoming extinct if causal factors continue operating. The species exists in five or fewer 10km grid squares of the UK. 2 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in England that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives.

30 Key Facts: Ecology and Behaviour > This bee has declined so rapidly > The female Potter Flower Bee excavates nesting burrows from the soil (often in the and severely that it is now only sandy exposures on cliffs) and off of this she builds individual nest partitions or ‘cells’. found at a handful of sites on In each cell the female lays an egg provisioned with pollen (moistened with nectar) South East coasts since 1990. that the growing bee (larva) will feed on. It will then undergo metamorphosis, forming a pupa in which it totally transforms, later breaking through its cell to > The ‘cuckoo’ bee that depends emerge from the burrow as the adult. It is usual that a number of females will nest on this bee for its survival is now close together at the same site in an aggregation; however they ‘work’ completely thought extinct in the UK. independently from one other. Best place to see: Seaford, Sussex. > Emergence of the first individuals takes place around the beginning of April; the males first followed by the females and after mating takes place the females start building their own nest burrows, laying eggs and provisioning them with food etc. > The bee not only needs to collect pollen for its young, it also needs a bit of this protein itself along with energy from sugary nectar in order to remain active as long as possible. It gathers these resources from a range of flowering plants with an apparent preference for Ground-Ivy and leguminous plants such as Bird’s-Foot Trefoil, Clovers and Vetches. It has also been recorded visiting flowers of Bramble, Iris, Houndstongue, Dandelion, Thrift, Wallflower and Wild Radish. It is thought that the Ground-Ivy is an important nectar plant and there are good stands of this at the site of the species’ stronghold in East Sussex. > The foraging and nesting activity of this species will continue until around the middle of June by which time all individuals will have died; the males first followed by the females. The young overwinter in their cells and emerge in the spring as their parents did the previous year and so the whole cycle begins again. > Over a quarter of British bee species are known as cleptoparasites or ‘Cuckoo Bees’. This means that they enter nests of other bees and lay their own egg in an occupied cell, which in turn hatches and eats both host larva and pollen provision. The cuckoo bee Melecta luctuosa is the known parasite of the Potter Flower Bee however probably as a result of its host’s dramatic decline, is now thought extinct in the British Isles as there haven’t been any records for about 100 years. It may nevertheless still be parasitized by Melecta albifrons, the cuckoo of the much more abundant Hairy-footed Flower Bee mentioned earlier.

Causes of Decline and Conservation

> The reasons for decline of the Potter Flower Bee remain largely unclear but are thought to be linked to the widespread and rapid intensification of agricultural practices, as well as urban and industrial development that has taken place post WWII. > The resultant habitat loss and fragmentation in turn leads to a reduction or total Photo: Anthophora retusa female, Cuckmore, absence of the bee’s nesting or more often food resources at critical parts of its East Sussex. © Steven Falk life-cycle. This could explain why it appears to be declining not just in the U.K but in its entire North-European distribution, not unlike several bumblebee species. One of the species’ most important populations near Seaford on the East Sussex coast is additionally under threat from flooding and sea encroachment. > Some sites could still potentially support the bee but areas of the correct resources are so fragmented that populations are unable to disperse the distance to them. > In 2010-11 the aculeate conservation organisation, Hymettus undertook surveys of the area from Cuckmere Haven to High and Over next to one of the species’ strongholds at Seaford in East Sussex to identify possible nesting and foraging areas that the bee might potentially expand into. They found that the surrounding habitat provided quite a lot of potential nesting sites but an inadequate amount of forage. It was noted that rabbits were having a significant over grazing impact in the area and suggested that any future beneficial grazing management of the area would have to include management of the rabbit population also.

31 > A subsequent meeting was held with the Sussex Wildlife Trust with representatives from local government, Natural England, South Downs Joint Committee and the National Trust in order to discuss habitat enhancement and restoration in the area, namely for A. retusa but also for a number of other bee species. The provision of forage plants in strips of wildflowers sown in the margins of the adjacent farm would be one of the options along with implementation of a suitable cutting/grazing regime which allows the presence of adequate forage areas throughout the bee’s life cycle. the National Park and Natural England have now set out plans for the management of the target area and its subsequent monitoring

Recommendations

The report authors agree with the need for a Bee Action Plan to address urgent actions to be taken by the UK government, as called for by Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. Further potential strategies to assist A. retusa and in turn its endangered cuckoo bee Melecta albifrons include the following: > UK Government to introduce a national programme to monitor populations of wild pollinators including declining, threatened or rare bee species such as A. retusa. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to further investigate the bee’s life-cycle requirements (i.e. nesting site, material and food plant species) would be very useful but as a consequence of the bee’s rarity would prove quite problematic. > Local recorders and/or wildlife organisations to continue survey work of existing populations in the area and identify any new sites where the species was previously unknown. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to record the species and submit the data to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS). > Local recorders and wildlife groups to identify any corridors of potentially suitable habitat between existing populations and relate this to the species’ dispersal distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored by local authorities, wildlife groups, or recorders. If it is deemed particularly important, the local authorities should incorporate it into their local plans to provide protection for the corridor and the species dependent upon it. > The public, local recorders and NGOs/wildlife groups to continue to raise awareness of A. retusa with other members of the public, local conservation organisations, local authorities, local MPs and land owners/managers where the bee occurs or where it could potentially occur. Photo: Purple vetch plant. © Thinkstock > Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities giving advice to landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to promote the bee’s required habitat and forage. This might include introduction of a cutting/ grazing regime where areas of forage habitat are not cut until after completion of the bee’s life cycle and/or promotion of Agri-Environment options such as sowing of legume-based seed mixes in surrounding farmland and areas where forage habitat has been lost for example, that lost from sea encroachment and flooding at the Seaford population. > Local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their local plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. > UK Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat in new developments. This would be in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain.

32 Photo: Sussex coast, a good place to spot the Anthophra retusa. © Thinkstock > Local people in the region could also join local habitat creation campaigns such as the Friends of the Earth ‘Bee Worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a British Bee Action Plan.

References

Edwards, M. & Jenner, M. (2008) Anthophora retusa: the Potter Flower Bee. Hymettus. Else, G.R. (2012) Anthophora retusa. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. Jenner, M. (2013) Personal Communication. JNCC (2010) Anthophora retusa .UK Priority species Pages V2. Lee, P. (2011) Hymettus Research Report 2011. Hymettus Ltd. Roberts, S (2013) Personal Communication. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

33 South West England Scabious Bee

Common name: Scabious Bee Scientific name: Andrena hattorfiana

Description

This is one of the largest solitary bees in Britain and belongs to a group known as ‘mining bees’, a term relating to their habit of excavating burrows in the earth in which to nest. A. hattorfiana has a mainly dark brown or black body, sparse pale hairs and dusky wings. There are actually two colour forms: In the more common form the female’s abdomen will be almost entirely black with a patch of red hairs at the tip, the males with a totally black abdomen. In the lesser-seen form however, the female’s abdomen is extensively red, up to around half the abdomen.

Distribution and Status

> A. hattorfiana has a European-wide distribution, stretching to the near east and has been recorded as far south as North Africa. Despite this relatively extensive distribution, populations where it occurs are typically small and very local. South West England is a key area for the Andrena > Within the British Isles, this bee has declined and is now confined to suitable habitat hattorfiana. in Southern England, East Anglia and South Wales. Some sites in the South West, © Map copyright: See back cover. namely Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire support populations of relatively high numbers of this bee due to appropriate habitat and management. > The sites where this species is found can be either coastal or inland but the habitat will usually be a sandy or calcareous open grassland system, or even wide roadside verges. The presence of Field Scabious (or occasionally Small Scabious) at the site is a necessity as the pollen of these plants is essential to the rearing of the young. Andrena hattorfiana is listed as Vulnerable1 in the Red Data Book (RDB2) for the British Isles (Shirt, 1987); however it has provisionally been downgraded to Rare2 (pRD3) by Falk, (1991).

1 A species with population numbers that are low and declining throughout its range. Likely to become endangered if the adverse factors affecting it continue. 2 A species which at present is not considered endangered or vulnerable but is at risk or is believed to be rare due to only recently being discovered.

34 Key Facts: Ecology and Behaviour > Highly dependent on the pollen of > The female A. hattorfiana excavates nesting burrows from the soil off of which the wild flower Field Scabious. she builds individual nest partitions or ‘cells’. In each cell the female lays an egg provisioned with Field Scabious pollen (and probably a little nectar) that the growing > Britain’s largest ‘mining bee’. bee (larva) will feed on. It will then undergo metamorphosis, forming a pupa in > Has an endangered (RDB1) which it totally transforms, later breaking through its cell to emerge from the ‘cuckoo’ bee dependent on it for burrow as the adult. Females will either nest on their own or near each other at the survival. same site in small and loose aggregations; however in this situation they still ‘work’ completely independently from each other. Best place to see: Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. > Emergence of the first individuals takes place from late June; the males first followed the females, and after mating takes place the females start building their own nest burrows, laying eggs and provisioning them with food. > The bee not only needs to collect pollen for its young, it also needs this protein itself along with energy from sugary nectar in order to remain active as long as possible. Aside from the aforementioned Field Scabious, it also gathers nectar from many other flowering plants including: various thistles, Rough Chervil, Ground-elder, Hogweed, Common Centaury, Lesser Hawkbit, Bristly Oxtongue, Common Ragwort, White Clover, Wild Parsnip, Greater Knapweed and Smooth Hawk’s-Beard. Males are mainly seen at Field Scabious flowers, supposedly since this is where they spend most of their time looking for pollen-collecting females. > The foraging and nesting activity of this species will continue until around the end of July and occasionally into August after which time all adult individuals will have died; the males first followed by the females. The young overwinter in their cells and emerge in the summer as their parents did the previous year and the whole cycle begins again. > Over a quarter of British bee species are known as cleptoparasites or ‘Cuckoo Bees’. This means that they enter nests of other bees and lay their own egg in an occupied cell, which in turn hatches and eats both host larva and pollen provision. > The cuckoo bee Nomada armata is a parasite of A. hattorfiana. As this bee is dependent on the abundance of its host (which in turn is dependent on abundance of Field Scabious) for survival, it has declined dramatically and is extinct in many areas of its historical range. This cuckoo bee as a consequence is listed as Endangered3 in the Red Data Book (RDB1) (Shirt, 1987) and also by Falk (1991), and is on the England Biodiversity Strategy S414 species list (previously the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP).

3 A status given to species at risk of becoming extinct if causal factors continue operating. The species exists in five or fewer 10km grid squares of the U.K. 4 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in England that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives.

Causes of Decline and Conservation Photo: Andrena hattorfiana female, Bulford Field, Wiltshire. © Steven Falk > The primary explanation for the decline of A. hattorfiana is loss of its essential food plant species, Field Scabious, be that completely or at a critical point in its life-cycle. > This in turn can be linked to the widespread and rapid intensification of agricultural practices, as well as the urban and industrial development that has taken place in the last 60 years. In the coastal areas of the West Country, habitat loss may also be linked to development of tourism during the 1960’s and 70’s including the construction of caravan parks and golf courses. > There are grasslands within the region (and Southern England as a whole) that previously, and could still potentially support A. hattorfiana. The main reason they do not is to do with how the grassland is managed namely meadow cutting and grazing regimes which do not give wild flowers such as Field Scabious a chance to flower at the time when the bees need it. Even in the protected sites (such as SSSIs or Wildlife Trust sites) where populations are found, the land is sometimes managed more for short grassland species.

35 > Some areas in the region such as the large dune systems in Cornwall have particularly high rabbit numbers and since Field Scabious is susceptible to even light grazing, populations of A. hattorfiana are now mainly encountered on the edges of the dune systems or hedge banks in North Cornwall and West Penwith. > Some sites could still potentially be ideal for the bee but areas of the correct resources are so fragmented that populations are unable to disperse to them. Local recorders hypothesise that the reason A. hattorfiana’s cuckoo bee Nomada armata is now extinct from many of its previously occupied sites is because the host populations are too fragmented and too small to support it. > The bee does appear to maintain healthy populations at some sites in the South West and in particular on Salisbury Plain. These sites maintain landscape scale management practices promoting the abundance and flowering of wild flowers, including Field Scabious where sections of grassland are grazed on rotation every three years, ensuring there are always appropriate patches of nesting habitat and food plants every year. The site also holds some of the most recent records of Nomada armata. This demonstrates that appropriate management of a habitat can work and in this case undoubtedly benefits many species not just this particular bee.

Recommendations

The report authors agree with the need for a Bee Action Plan to address urgent actions to be taken by the UK government, as called for by Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. Further potential strategies to assist A.hattorfiana and in turn its endangered cuckoo bee Nomada armata include the following: > UK Government to introduce a national programme to monitor populations of wild pollinators including declining, threatened or rare bee species such as A. hattorfiana. > Local recorders and/or wildlife organisations to continue survey work of existing populations in the area and identify any new sites where the species was previously unknown. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to record the species and submit the data to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS). > Local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their local plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. > Local recorders and wildlife groups to identify any corridors of potentially suitable habitat between existing populations and relate this to the species’ dispersal distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. Photo: Field Scabious flower. © Thinkstock > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored by local authorities, wildlife groups, or recorders. If it is deemed particularly important, the local authorities should incorporate it into their local plans to provide protection for the corridor and the species dependent upon it. > Wildlife groups to continue to raise awareness of A. hattorfiana with local authorities, local MPs and land owners/managers where the bee occurs or where it could potentially occur. > Government agencies, wildlife groups and local authorities that advise landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to encourage appropriate habitat management which supports the bee’s forage plant, such as those seen in areas of Salisbury Plain where sections of grassland are grazed on rotation every three years, ensuring there are always appropriate patches of nesting habitat and food plants every year. > Local authorities to consider rabbit management in areas where they are

36 Photo: Salisbury countryside, Wiltshire, a good place to spot the Andrena hattorfiana. © Thinkstock particularly damaging and if the site is particularly important for A. hattorfiana such as reported in Cornwall. > Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities to encourage farmers, nature reserve managers and the public to include Field Scabious in wild flower seed mixes sown on farms (under Agri-Environment schemes), reserves and in gardens in areas adjacent to known populations. > If any management is undertaken then monitoring of its effectiveness by local authorities, local recorders and local wildlife groups should be undertaken. > UK Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat in new developments. This would be in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain. > Local people in the region could also join habitat creation local campaigns such as the Friends of the Earth ‘Bee Worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a Bee Action Plan.

References

Edwards, M. (2006) Aculeate Information Sheets: How the habitat requirements of BAP aculeates relate to their HAP; 1.Nomada armata, a cuckoo bee of grasslands. Hymettus. Else, G.R. (2001) Andrena hattorfiana. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. Franzén, M., Larsson, M. & Nilsson, S.G. (2009) Small local population sizes and high habitat patch fidelity in a specialised solitary bee. Journal of Insect Conservation, 13(1), pp.89-95. JNCC (2010) Nomada armata .UK Priority species Pages V2. Roberts, S. (2013) personal Communication. Saunders, P. (2013) Personal Communication. Shirt (1987) Red Data Book of British Insects. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

37 Wales Large Mason Bee

Common name: Large Mason Bee Scientific name: Osmia xanthomelana

Description

This is a medium-sized (12-13mm) robust black bee with golden to brown coloured hair covering the face and thorax. The abdomen has a sparse covering of golden to pale hairs.

Distribution and Status

> Widely distributed throughout northern Eurasia, although almost always rare throughout its range. The Welsh population marks the North West edge of its distribution. > Historically recorded from 28 localities in England and Wales but has declined so severely over the last century that it is now only recorded from two sites in north Wales. It was originally thought extinct in the U.K when the remaining English population on the Isle of Wight was searched for in the 1990’s and no individuals were found, however it was rediscovered in Wales at Porth Ceiriad (1998) and Porth Wales is a key area for the Neigwl (1999) on the Llŷn Peninsula. Osmia xanthomelana. > Associated with eroded soft-rock cliffs such as clay and chalk, landslips, dunes © Map copyright: See back cover. and semi-natural and unimproved grassland where there is the presence of the leguminous plant Bird’s-foot Trefoil upon which it likely depends for its survival in the U.K. Sites also need a supply of freshwater from seepages for nest cell construction. O. xanthomelana is listed as Endangered1 in the Red Data Book for the British Isles by Shirt (1987) and Falk (1991) and is on the England Biodiversity Strategy S412 and Welsh Biodiversity S423 species lists (previously the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP)).

1 A status given to species at risk of becoming extinct if causal factors continue operating. The species exists in five or fewer 10km grid squares of the U.K. 2 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in England that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives. 3 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in Wales that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives.

38 Key Facts: Ecology and Behaviour > Britain’s rarest solitary bee. > Males are seen from April, females from May. Both seen until July. > Thought extinct in the U.K until > Nests are usually excavated from south-east facing eroded banks or sometimes its rediscovery in Wales in the previous burrows are cleaned out and reused. 1990’s. > Females collect freshwater from cliff base seepages to make mud that is combined > Estimated population in the U.K is with grit in the construction of the nest cells (these normally number five or six). about 250 females > Egg cells are provisioned with pollen from Bird’s-foot Trefoil. (Clee, 2013). > The species will collect nectar from a variety of plants however such as Horse-shoe > No decline statistic available. Vetch, Bramble and Bugle. Best places to see: only found at two > O. xanthomelana is known to be parasitized by the wasp Sapyga quinquepunctata. sites: Porth Ceiriad and Porth Neigwl on the Llŷn Peninsula. Causes of Decline and Conservation

> The main threats to this bee are loss of nesting and forage habitat through erosion, development or mismanagement. > The preferred nesting habitat of bare soil in soft-rock cliffs, sandbanks or landslips is maintained by a certain level of erosion. However too much or sudden erosion can result in complete loss of suitable habitat at a site (this is thought to be what wiped out the remaining English population on the Isle of Wight). Conversely too little erosion (caused by stabilising sea defences for example) also results in loss of suitable habitat. > The bee’s forage plant of bird’s-foot trefoil can be detrimentally affected by over- grazing or under- grazing which results in the reduction or complete loss of the food plant during the bee’s life cycle. > Other factors thought to potentially negatively impact the bee include climate change and agricultural run-off from nearby intensive farmland. > Since the rediscovery of O. xanthomelana at Porth Ceiriad and Porth Neigwl, the two populations have been extensively surveyed and monitored in order to establish the size of the populations, what the bee’s habitat requirements are and also to look into the effect of habitat management targeted at the species. The majority of this work was commissioned by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) (Now Natural Resources Wales). A comprehensive paper presenting the findings is due to be published in the near future. > At the Porth Neigwl sites, management has been undertaken to increase nesting habitat. Nesting banks have been cleared of invasive grasses and 15 new banks have been constructed. These new banks were monitored and surveyed in 2012 and ten females were found to be nesting in them. Further management work is due to be carried out this year. Photo: Osmia xanthomelana collecting mud. © Carl Clee > The two sites where the bee is found are fortunately protected under the Porth Ceiriad and Porth Neigwl ac Ynysoedd Sant Tudwal SSSI which is also part of the Seacliffs of Llŷn candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) as well as falling under the the Llŷn Peninsula Environmentally Sensitive Area, Heritage Coast and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. > It is clear that since its rediscovery in the 1990’s Gwynedd Council and experts have put in a huge amount of effort to help this bee by thoroughly researching its ecology and habitat requirements and then using this information to undertake active and informed habitat management that appears to be showing positive results.

39 Recommendations

The report authors agree with the need for a Bee Action Plan to address urgent actions to be taken by the UK government, as called for by Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. It is worth noting that in April 2013 the Welsh Government published a Draft Action Plan for Pollinators for Wales. If this is supported by key stakeholders and fully implemented it will help in delivering several of the measures set out below. Further potential strategies to assist Osmia xanthomelana include: > The UK Government should introduce a UK wide monitoring programme in collaboration with devolved governments to monitor populations of wild pollinators including declining, threatened or rare bee species such as O. xanthomelana. > Local authorities, local recorders, or wildlife groups to identify sites near suitable Photo: Bird’s-foot Trefoil flowers. © Cindy Kilpatrick habitat and relate this to any available data on the species’ dispersal distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation would be feasible given appropriate management. > If an area is found and subsequently managed then it should be monitored by either local wildlife groups/organisations, recorders or local authorities. If deemed particularly important the local authorities are recommended to incorporate it into their Local Development Plans to protect the site and the species that depends upon it. > The public, local recorders and NGOs/wildlife groups to raise awareness of O. xanthomelana with other members of the public, local conservation organisations, local authorities, local AMs, MPs and land owners/managers where the bee occurs or where it could potentially occur. > Natural Resources Wales, Farming Connect, local wildlife organisations and local authorities advising landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to encourage appropriate habitat management incentives such as grazing regimes in these areas which support the bee’s nesting habitat and forage plant, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, ensuring there are always the appropriate resources at the critical times of its life cycle and scrub is prevented from taking over. For example, using cattle instead of sheep for grazing where feasible (cattle are less damaging)and delaying grazing or cutting until after the bee’s life cycle, i.e. August (it would be even more beneficial to delay until autumn as this would also ensure forage for a range of bees that fly later than O. xanthomelana). > Natural Resources Wales, Farming Connect, local wildlife organisations and local authorities to encourage farmers to select options under Glastir (and the RDP post 2014) beneficial to pollinators, these may include incorporating clover as a nectar source or sowing nectar mixes where appropriate. > Local wildlife groups, recorders or local authorities to continue building new nesting habitat at the two sites as they appear to be quite successful. > If any management is undertaken local recorders, local wildlife/groups or local authorities to monitor its effectiveness. > Welsh Government and local authorities to encourage developers in the area to include bee-friendly habitat when carrying out developments. Local people in Wales can join local groups such as Môn and Gwynedd Friends of the Earth, and Friends of the Earth’s ‘Bee Cause’ campaign to support the Welsh Government action plan for pollinators and also sign the petition for a UK-wide Bee Action Plan.

40 References

Clee, C. (2013) Personal Communication. Else, G.R. (2012) Osmia xanthomelana. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. JNCC (2010) Osmia xanthomelana. UK Priority species Pages V2. Lee, P. (2011) Hymettus Ltd Research Report for 2011. Hymettus Ltd. Roberts, S. (2013) Personal Communication. Shirt (1987) Red Data Book of British Insects. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

41 West Midlands Long-horned Bee

Common name: Long-horned Bee Scientific name: Eucera longicornis

Description

This is a relatively large (12-16mm) solitary bee with a black haired abdomen and buff to tawny-haired thorax. The females have an entirely black head and whitish broken bands on the black abdomen. The males have yellow patches on the face and are very distinctive from all other species of bee in the U.K in having extremely long antennae, reaching back along the whole length of the bee.

Distribution and Status

> E. longicornis is widespread across Europe and Asia, reaching as far east as Siberia and China. > Within the U.K it is found locally in southern England and Wales and appears to be becoming more confined to coastal areas. The West Midlands now holds the most inland and northern recent recordings of its distribution.

West Midlands is a key area > This species is strongly associated with mesotrophic grasslands (neutral pH for the Eucera longicornis. grasslands) and the habitat where this bee is now most often found is on coastal © Map copyright: See back cover. grasslands and landslips but is also found in deciduous woodland where there are grassy open rides and also sometimes on heathland. E. longicornis is listed on the England Biodiversity Strategy S411 species list (previously the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) and listed as Notable A2 in the revised Red Data Book for the British Isles (Falk, 1991). 1 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in England that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives. 2 A status given to species found in only 16-30 10km grid squares of the U.K.

Ecology and Behaviour

> The female E. longicornis excavates a nesting burrow of about 150-200cm in bare or thinly vegetated soil. Coming off of this tunnel she builds a number of oval shaped nest partitions or ‘cells’. Each cell is coated with a secretion from the female that acts as a sort of ‘proofing’ for the cell. In each partition the female lays an egg provisioned with pollen and a little nectar (from leguminous plants;

42 Photo: Eucera longicornis. © Alain Cipière (OPIE) family Fabaceae) that the growing bee (larva) will feed on. It will then undergo metamorphosis, forming a pupa in which it totally transforms, later breaking through its cell to emerge from the burrow as the adult. Females will usually nest very close together at the same site in an aggregation; however they still ‘work’ completely independently from one another and are not social insects. > Emergence of the first individuals takes place around mid-May; the males first followed the females. The bees look for a mate and after mating takes place the females start building their nest burrows, laying eggs and provisioning them with Key Facts: food etc. > A very distinctive solitary bee of > One interesting observation of this species is the pollination of the Bee Orchid and which the West Midlands holds the Late Spider-orchid by the males. In Western Europe (but as yet unobserved here most inland and northern recent despite the presence of both orchid species) the males occasionally attempt to mate recordings. with the flowers of the orchids after mistaking them for femaleE. longicornis. During > The bee’s species name ‘longicornis’ this pseudocopulation the males get pollen of the orchids on their faces and when means ‘long horns’ and refers to the they then ‘mate’ with another flower, they transfer the pollen and as a consequence male’s characteristic extremely long pollinate the plant. antennae. > The females not only need to collect pollen for their young, they also need this > This bee has an Endangered protein themselves along with energy from sugary nectar in order to remain active ‘cuckoo’ bee dependent upon it as long as possible. Individuals of this species nectar from a wide range of plant for survival. species but the females will only collect pollen from plants of the family Fabaceae, in particular vetches, clovers, peas and Birds-foot Trefoil. Meadow Vetching (Lathyrus Best place to see: this bee is very pratensis) is noted as being of particular importance and is preferentially favoured rare in the West Midlands but the by this species, especially where it forms dense patches. best place to look for it are South Staffordshire, north Worcestershire > The foraging and nesting activity of E. longicornis will continue until around the and south Warwickshire, especially middle of July (sometimes a little later) by which time all individuals will have died; along disused railway lines and disused the males first followed by the females. The young overwinter in their cells and quarries with lots of leguminous plants emerge in the spring as their parents did the previous year and the whole cycle such as vetches and bird’s-foot trefoil. begins again.

43 > Over a quarter of British bee species are known as cleptoparasites or ‘Cuckoo Bees’. This means that they enter nests of other bees and lay their own egg in an occupied cell, which in turn hatches and eats both host larva and pollen provision. The cuckoo bee Nomada sexfasciata is a parasite of E. longicornis. This bee is now only known from one site in the U.K (a coastal site in South Devon) and is listed as Endangered3 (RDB1) in the Red Data Books by Shirt (1987) and Falk (1991). 3 A status given to species at risk of becoming extinct if causal factors continue operating. The species exists in five or fewer 10km grid squares of the U.K.

Causes of Decline and Conservation

> The threats and causes of decline to this bee are likely to be on-going land use change and agricultural intensification. > Specifically,E .longicornis requires landscapes that provide both adequate nesting sites and an abundance of the plant species it likes to forage on. > Optimal habitat has and is being lost through conversion of flower-rich grassland to more intensive agricultural and grassland systems (such as a shift from hay to silage system) or a lack of grazing or cutting leading to grasses and other plants outcompeting wild flowers. > This is a strong-flying bee and probably requires forage across a wide area, on a landscape scale. Therefore, fragmentation of the landscape and increasing loss of flower-rich sites is probably another reason for its decline. However it does appear that it may be able to operate at a very low population density over a wide area, as may be the situation in Worcestershire. > Some sites could still potentially support the bee but areas of the correct resources are so fragmented that populations are unable to disperse the distance to them. Top: Eucera longicornis foraging on clover. © Alain Cipière (OPIE) > The reason it fairs better in certain areas is probably as a result of sensitive Bottom: Disused railway, Warwickshire. © Thinkstock grassland management there. Examples of this include grazing/cutting different areas on rotation so that there are always nesting sites and flower rich areas available throughout the bee’s life cycle, using cattle for grazing rather than sheep which are much less damaging or delaying grazing or hay cutting until after the bee’s cycle. > It should be noted that the apparent shift of this bee to the coast may not be indicative of a preference for coastal sites but simply that inland grasslands have deteriorated further than coastal.

Reommendations

The report authors agree with the need for a Bee Action Plan to address urgent actions to be taken by the UK government, as called for by Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. Further potential strategies to assist E. longicornis include the following: > UK Government to introduce a national monitoring programme to monitor populations of wild pollinators including declining, threatened or rare bee species including C. longicornis. > Local recorders and/or wildlife organisations to carry out survey work of existing populations in the area and identify any new sites where the species was previously unknown or hasn’t been seen in a while. Tied to this is the encouragement of local recorders and wildlife groups to record the species and submit the data to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS). It must be noted that even though this species usually nests in aggregations it can reportedly support a colony over quite a large area (but at low density or even as isolated individuals) and hence be much more difficult to locate (Lee, 2001). > Local recorders and wildlife groups to identify any corridors of potentially suitable habitat between existing populations and relate this to published data on the

44 species’ dispersal distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored by local authorities, local wildlife groups/organisations, or recorders. If deemed particularly important the local authorities are recommended to incorporate it into their local plans in order to protect the corridor and the species that depends upon it > The public, local recorders and NGOs/wildlife groups to continue to raise awareness of E. longicornis with other members of the public, local conservation organisations, local authorities, local MPs and land owners/managers where the bee occurs or where it could potentially occur. > Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities giving advice to landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to encourage habitat management which promotes the bee’s required habitat, e.g. to install a grazing/ mowing regime that avoids flowers being removed until late summer or early autumn and/or areas grazed on rotation so that there is a mosaic of habitats and food plants available nearby throughout the bee’s life cycle. Also to establish Meadow Vetchling along verges and other linear features such as margins of fields and lanes in key areas, as the males are anecdotally known to ‘patrol’ good patches of this plant along linear features when searching for females. > Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities to encourage farmers to select Agri-Environment Scheme options that benefit pollinators, particularly sowing of legume-rich pollen and nectar mixes. > As this bee is probably a landscape scale forager, the public are encouraged to plant wild leguminous plants such as vetches and clovers in gardens and this could benefit not just E. longicornis but other bee species, particularly bumblebees. > If any management is undertaken then local authorities, local recorders, and local wildlife/groups to monitor its effectiveness > Local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their local plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. > UK Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat in new developments. This would be in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain. > Local people in the region could join local campaigns such as Friends of the Earth ‘Bee worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a National Bee Action Plan.

References

Else, G.R. (2012) Eucera longicornis. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. JNCC (2010) Eucera longicornis .UK Priority species Pages V2. Jukes, A. (2013) Personal Communication. Lee, P. (2011) Hymettus Ltd Research Report for 2011. Hymettus Ltd. Roberts, S. (2013) Personal Communication. Shirt (1987) Red Data Book of British Insects. Williams, R. (ed.) (2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

45 Yorkshire and the Humber Tormentil Mining Bee

Common name: Tormentil Mining Bee Scientific name: Andrena tarsata

Description

This small solitary bee belongs to a group known as ‘mining bees’, a term relating to their habit of excavating burrows in the earth in which to nest. A. tarsata is a black with a pale haired thorax and thin white (often broken) bands on the abdomen. The females measure 7-10mm and are unique among all other species in this group (Genus: Andrena) in having three teeth to their mandibles (tridentate). The males are 6-9mm and have a small patch of yellow on their face.

Distribution and Status

> Worldwide this species has a mainly northern European distribution stretching to western Russia and south to Spain. > It is widely distributed throughout the British Isles (but not found on the Channel Islands). However is rather scarce, only very locally common and there is evidence Yorkshire is a key area for of quite a severe decline over the last few decades. Yorkshire holds an important the Andrena tarsata. population. © Map copyright: See back cover. > The habitats where Andrena tarsata are found are almost exclusively types of heathland and moorland. Within these habitats, this species occurs where there are large stands of Tormentil (Potentilla sp.) since it depends of these plants alone as a source of pollen. Andrena tarsata is on the England Biodiversity Strategy S41 Species List1 (previously the UK List of Priority Species and Habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP).

1 This is a list of species and habitats identified to be of biodiversity conservation priority in England that should be taken into consideration during planning and development initiatives.

46 Key Facts: Ecology and Behaviour > A small solitary bee with a strong > The female A. tarsata generally chooses to nest in south facing, vertical or sloping dependence on the wild flower areas of bare soil. She excavates nesting burrows off of which she builds individual Tormentil. nest partitions or ‘cells’. In each cell the female lays an egg provisioned with > Estimated to have been lost from Tormentil pollen (and probably a little nectar) that the growing bee (larva) will 50% of sites previously recorded feed on. It will then undergo metamorphosis, forming a pupa in which it totally at since 1970 (JNCC, 2010). transforms, later breaking through its cell to emerge from the burrow as the adult. > It has a Rare (RDB3) ‘cuckoo’ bee Females often nest close together at the same site in an aggregation. However in dependent on it for survival. this situation they still ‘work’ completely independently from one other. Best places to see: Allerthorpe > Emergence of the first individuals takes place from mid-June; the males first followed Common, Harden Moor, Pompocali, by the females and after mating takes place the females start building their own Rossington Bridge and Seckar Heath. nest burrows, laying eggs and provisioning them with food. > The bee not only needs to collect pollen for its young, it also needs this protein itself along with energy from sugary nectar in order to remain active as long as possible. Aside from Tormentil, it also gathers nectar from many other flowering plants including Yarrow, Ling Heather, Harebell and Bramble. > The foraging and nesting activity of this species will continue until around the end of August by which time all individuals will have died; the males first followed by the females. The young overwinter in their cells and emerge in the summer as their parents did the previous year and the whole cycle begins again.

47 > Over a quarter of British bee species are known as cleptoparasites or ‘Cuckoo Bees’. This means that they enter nests of other bees and lay their own egg in an occupied cell, which in turn hatches and eats both host larva and pollen provision. The cuckoo bee Nomada roberjeotiana is a parasite of A. tarsata. As this bee is dependent on abundance of its host (which in turn is dependent on abundance of Tormentil) for survival, it too has declined from much of its former range. This cuckoo bee as a consequence is listed as Rare2 (RDB3) by Falk (1991).

2 A species which at present is not considered endangered or vulnerable but is at risk or is believed to be rare due to only recently being discovered.

Causes of Decline and Conservation

> Despite still being widespread, sites where this bee is being recorded have dropped by around 50% since 1970 (JNCCC, 2010). > The primary explanation for the decline of A. tarsata is likely to be loss, fragmentation and degradation of the heathland and moorland habitats it is found in and, as a consequence, also its crucial food plant Tormentil. > This can be linked in turn to the widespread and rapid intensification of agricultural practices and urban and industrial development that has taken place in the last 60 years. > In upland habitats, afforestation and changes in grazing pressure are important. On lowland heath there are a variety of pressures, including afforestation, mineral extraction, urban development, and the growth of scrub. > Research has also shown that even at some sites where there are large stands of Tormentil, the bee is often absent. This may be a reflection of the heathland and moorland deterioration seen over the last couple of decades (JNCC, 2010). Top: Harden Moor, West Yorkshire. © Thinkstock > During 2010-2011, the aculeate conservation group Hymettus Ltd set out to Bottom: Tormentil. investigate the changes in abundance and distribution of A. tarsata in relation to Tormentil and other potential food plants at various sites on the North York Moors. Of the five sites visited, the bee was only found at Jugger How. At other sites such as Caydale, Gundale and Saintfort Pits it was observed that there probably wasn’t enough appropriate forage to maintain populations. Sites where it was also not found but it was thought could potentially support the bee were Harwood Dale Forest and Hole of Horcam. Due to the inadequate number of records at a high enough resolution, links between changes in forage and the bee population were unable to be established and therefore it is very difficult to give definitive reasons for causes of population changes and declines.

Recommendations

48 distance and propensity. This information can then be used to determine if colonisation of these sites would be feasible given appropriate management of the corridor. > If a corridor is established then it should be monitored by local authorities, wildlife groups, or recorders. If it is deemed particularly important, the local authorities should incorporate it into their local plans to provide protection for the corridor and the species dependent upon it. > Wildlife groups to continue to raise awareness of A. tarsata with local authorities, local MPs and land owners/managers where the bee occurs or where it could potentially occur. > Government agencies, local wildlife organisations and local authorities giving advice to landowners in the above areas (and those surrounding) to promote the bee’s required habitat and forage plant Tormentil. For example to install a grazing or mowing regime that avoids removal of flowers until late summer or early autumn or provides areas grazed on rotation so that there is a mosaic of habitats and food plants available throughout the bee’s life cycle. The protection of south-facing bare soil and banks that the bees nest in should also be encouraged. > If any management is undertaken then monitoring of its effectiveness by local authorities, local recorders or local wildlife groups should be undertaken. > A. tarsata has been recorded at Potentilla fruticosa in Norway where it is widely planted as an amenity plant. In order to provide extra forage local authorities, members of the public, wildlife reserve managers should plant Potentilla fruticosa in towns adjacent to the sites at which the bee is found. > Local authorities should record any important sites (either already in existence or identified by the further survey work) for the bee in their local plans and ensure policies and mitigation plans are then in place to protect these populations. In Yorkshire, a local recorder noticed that there was planning permission to test drill for minerals 10ft from a nesting aggregation of A. tarsata and after raising awareness of the bee and some persuasion, permission to drill was then refused for most of the flight period of the bee. > UK Government and local authorities to encourage developers to include bee- friendly habitat in new developments. This would be in-line with the National Planning Policy Framework which aims to achieve biodiversity gain. > Local people in the region could also join local habitat creation campaigns such as Friends of the Earth ‘Bee Worlds’ project and also sign their petition for a Bee Action Plan.

References

Archer, M. (2013) Personal Communication. Else, G.R. (2005) Andrena tarsata. BWARS Species Page. www.bwars.com. Falk, S. (1991) A Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasps and Ants of Great Britain. Research and Survey in Nature Conservation, Peterborough. Hislop, L. (2013) Personal Communication. JNCC (2010) Andrena tarsata. UK Priority species Pages V2. Roberts, S. (2013) Personal Communication. Williams, R. (ed.)(2012) An Introduction to Bees in Britain. Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

49 Want to know more? More information about the University’s work on bees can be found at www.reading.ac.uk/caer/staff_simon_potts.html Information about Friends of the Earth’s The Bee Cause campaign can be found at www.foe.co.uk/bees

Our paper is totally recycled and our printers hold EMAS This report has been prepared by the University of Reading for Friends of the Earth. The authors would like to thank all the local recorders, regional experts and photographers who have generously donated their time, knowledge and work in the compilation of this report, with a certification which means they care about the environment. particular mention to Stuart Roberts for his expert input and considerable advice. Friends of the Earth Limited © Friends of the Earth. May 2013. Authors Rebecca L. Evans and Simon G. Potts, University of Reading.

Map copyright: © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved NERC 100017897 2004. Data courtesy of the NBN Gateway and provided by 50© Cover: Thinkstock BWARS. The NBN and BWARS bear no responsibility for the further analysis or interpretation of this material, data and/or information.