DOCSLIB.ORG

Bumblebeesof Kent

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Bumblebeesof Kent District Council, Thames Water. Thames Council, District Swale Borough Council, Thanet Thanet Council, Borough Swale Council, Natural England, RSPB, RSPB, England, Natural Council, Kent Wildlife Trust, Kent County County Kent Trust, Wildlife Kent Partners Design by Tim Griffiths Illustration. Griffiths Tim by Design Vivian Russell and Chris Wells. Chris and Russell Vivian (Bombus sylvestris) (Bombus Gammans, Christine Hall, Daisy Headley, Headley, Daisy Hall, Christine Gammans, bumblebee Stuart Andrews, Jo-anne Collier, Nikki Nikki Collier, Jo-anne Andrews, Stuart Forest cuckoo cuckoo Forest credits: Photo Follow us on us Follow funding, thanks to National Lottery players. Lottery National to thanks funding, Making a Buzz for the Coast received National Lottery Heritage Heritage Lottery National received Coast the for Buzz a Making www.bumblebeeconservation.org at website Trust Conservation Bumblebee the Visit your local area! local your (Bombus rupetris) (Bombus guided walks and other community events going on in in on going events community other and walks guided bumblebee Check out our events page for identification courses, courses, identification for page events our out Check Red-tailed cuckoo cuckoo Red-tailed (Bombus vestalis) (Bombus bumblebee Southern cuckoo cuckoo Southern of Kent Kent of your own garden and local green spaces. green local and garden own your often have smoky black/darkened wings. black/darkened smoky have often can also find tips on what you can do for bumblebees in in bumblebees for do can you what on tips find also can exposing the shiny exoskeleton. Cuckoo bumblebees will will bumblebees Cuckoo exoskeleton. shiny the exposing Bumblebees and more information on how to record bumblebees. You You bumblebees. record to how on information more and to their host, however they tend to appear less furry furry less appear to tend they however host, their to Visit our website for bumblebee identification resources resources identification bumblebee for website our Visit established nest. The cuckoo will often appear similar similar appear often will cuckoo The nest. established Want to know more? know to Want later than their host so they can lay their eggs in an an in eggs their lay can they so host their than later pollen. Female cuckoo bumblebees tend to emerges emerges to tend bumblebees cuckoo Female pollen. bumblebees have no pollen baskets and do not collect collect not do and baskets pollen no have bumblebees not produce workers. As there are no workers, cuckoo cuckoo workers, no are there As workers. produce not only produce breeding males and females, however do do however females, and males breeding produce only the host rear the young. Eggs laid by the cuckoo female female cuckoo the by laid Eggs young. the rear host the the nest of a social bumblebee host where the workers of of workers the where host bumblebee social a of nest the Cuckoo bumblebees, much like the bird, lay their eggs in in eggs their lay bird, the like much bumblebees, Cuckoo What are cuckoo bumblebees? cuckoo are What Bumblebees and the Garden of What are carder bumblebees? Identifying bumblebees England – What makes Kent so These species, nesting in areas of long vegetation such Kent is a very special county for its diversity of bumblebees. important? as tussocky grass, share a habit of combing (‘carding’) The following species are widespread throughout Kent and The UK has 24 species of bumblebee. Seven of these together material such as grass and moss to build a cover the UK. These are the most common bumblebees you will are classed as rare or scarce and have shown population for their nest. Four of the carder bumblebee species are frequently find in your gardens and greenspaces! declines. The main reason for this decline is the loss of rare and only one is widespread throughout the UK – the habitat; 97% of our wildflower meadows have been lost Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum). The rarer since the 1930’s. Kent is one of the best counties in the species are associated with extensive areas of open UK for bumblebee species with 22 of the 24 UK species flower-rich grassland. Unlike the Common carder bee, being found here. Much of Kent’s cultural and economic which emerges from March, carder bee species tend to heritage is intrinsically linked to bees, with a landscape emerge from hibernation later from April/May. of orchards, arable flowering crops and grassland. Kent’s Recording bumblebees bumblebee diversity can be linked to its varied habitats Q W M Q W M We strongly recommend taking photographs of bumblebees and the milder southern climate. White-tailed bumblebee Garden bumblebee you find in order to help identify and to confirm sightings. Try Bombus lucorum Bombus hortorum Many rare and scarce bumblebees call Kent their home, to take several photographs from different angles, showing however these populations are often isolated and may banding, face, legs and tail. One of the best places to record be at risk of extinction unless action is taken. The Shrill wildlife is iRecord (www.brc.ac.uk/irecord). Here you can carder bee, one of the UK’s rarest bumblebees, is record ad hoc bumblebee records (ideally with pictures). found along the north Kent coastline and is a focus for Visit our website at www.bumblebeeconservation.org, to conservation effort. learn more about submitting records and surveying for bumblebees. To take bumblebee ID Q W M Q W M a step further, you will Buff-tailed bumblebee Tree bumblebee probably need to net and Bombus terrestris Bombus hypnorum pot the bee for closer examination, and use a hand lens to see features close up. Whilst a large proportion of bumblebees can be identified in the field, in the case of some rare bumblebees, field Q W M Q W M identification may not be Early bumblebee Red-tailed bumblebee possible. Bombus pratorum Bombus lapidarius (above) Oare Marsh; BeeWalk (right) Foreness Point If you enjoy bee identification and can spare a few hours once a month between March and October to walk a set route, why not join our national survey BeeWalk. You could be contributing to a much needed database of bumblebee records to help us monitor all bumblebee species and in turn aid their conservation. Visit www. Key Q W M Q Queen bumblebeeconservation.org/surveys/. W Worker Common carder bee M Male Bombus pascuorum Thames Estuary Rare & scarce An open landscape of grazing marshes and varied brownfield Shrill carder bee Bombus sylvarum bumblebees of Kent sites, linked by sea walls that provide an important corridor Description for rare bumblebees. This is a pale, straw-coloured Sheppey bumblebee, with a A mosaic of wetland, marshes and farming land broad black band providing forage and long grass nesting habitat for across the thorax Brown-banded carder bee and a reddish- Bombus humilis bumblebees. Cliffe Pools, orange tail which Description Hoo Peninsula can fade with age. An all-ginger The Shrill carder bumblebee. as the name might Queens, males and workers Thames Estuary suggest also has a noticeably higher-pitched ‘shrill’ are all similar in buzz than other bumblebees. Emerging later than appearance and Dartford many other bumblebees, you are most likely to see often have a darker queens from May onwards. Workers appear from mid-June and males and new queens can be seen brown band on the A2 Leysdown South Swale Reserve Mitton Creek well into September. This is one of the UK’s most abdomen which is Country Park & Saltwater Sea Walk the same colour 5 Isle of endangered bumblebee species. 2 as the hairs on Sheppey Margate Similar species the top of the thorax. There are no black hairs on the M Newly–emerged individuals are very distinctive. abdomen of this species but there are always a small Sittingborne Older, faded individuals can resemble a number of number of black hairs on the thorax, usually at the other bumblebee species including Early bumblebees wing bases. Whitstable Ramsgate (B. pratorum), which also has a red tail but has much Similar species brighter yellow banding. Common carder bee (B. pascuorum), Moss carder M bee (B. muscorum). M26 2 Thanet Chalk soils and cliffs provide excellent habitat for Moss carder bee Sandwich Bay both bumblebee and solitary bees. Bombus muscorum Description An all-ginger A bumblebee. When 2 fresh, this species has a distinctive chestnut-coloured Ruderal bumblebee thorax which Bombus ruderatus Kent Downs contrasts with paler Description One of the larger blonde hairs on AONB bumblebee species the sides. There in the UK and can are no black hairs Dover Short-haired bumblebee occur in a number M anywhere on the A 2 Bombus subterraneus of colour forms. In body of this species. Queens start to emerge from 2 0 1 the lighter colour May with workers seen from June onwards. Description form, queens, Folkestone Females and workers and males Confusion species males have Brown-banded (B. humilis) and Common carder bees are three banded different colour (B. pascuorum). with a yellow- patterns. Females black-yellow banded thorax, a yellow band at the have two yellow top of the abdomen and a pure white tail. However, bands on the Red-shanked bumblebee thorax, a top Bombus ruderarius bee-aware, this species also produces darker or all black individuals. High Weald abdominal band Description and a white tail. Similar species This scarce species B. hortorum), Short-haired AONB yellow with a black band between Malesthe wing are bases. lemon Garden bumblebees ( is very similar to ). Formerly widespread across Southern England, bumblebee (B.subterraneus the common Red- Dungeness this species underwent drastic declines and was tailed bumblebee last seen in the UK in 1988 at Dungeness. A (B.lapidarius) as reintroduction project began in 2009, and began both are black Rye releasing queens obtained from Sweden in 2012 with a red tail.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Wild Bees in the Hoeksche Waard
    Wild bees in the Hoeksche Waard Wilson Westdijk C.S.G. Willem van Oranje Text: Wilson Westdijk Applicant: C.S.G. Willem van Oranje Contact person applicant: Bart Lubbers Photos front page Upper: Typical landscape of the Hoeksche Waard - Rotary Hoeksche Waard Down left: Andrena rosae - Gert Huijzers ​ ​ Down right: Bombus muscorum - Gert Huijzers ​ ​ Table of contents Summary 3 Preface 3 Introduction 4 Research question 4 Hypothesis 4 Method 5 Field study 5 Literature study 5 Bee studies in the Hoeksche Waard 9 Habitats in the Hoeksche Waard 11 Origin of the Hoeksche Waard 11 Landscape and bees 12 Bees in the Hoeksche Waard 17 Recorded bee species in the Hoeksche Waard 17 Possible species in the Hoeksche Waard 22 Comparison 99 Compared to Land van Wijk en Wouden 100 Species of priority 101 Species of priority in the Hoeksche Waard 102 Threats 106 Recommendations 108 Conclusion 109 Discussion 109 Literature 111 Sources photos 112 Attachment 1: Logbook 112 2 Summary At this moment 98 bee species have been recorded in the Hoeksche Waard. 14 of these species are on the red list. 39 species, that have not been recorded yet, are likely to occur in the Hoeksche Waard. This results in 137 species, which is 41% of all species that occur in the Netherlands. The species of priority are: Andrena rosae, A. labialis, A. wilkella, Bombus ​ jonellus, B. muscorum and B. veteranus. Potential species of priority are: Andrena pilipes, A. ​ ​ ​ gravida Bombus ruderarius B. rupestris and Nomada bifasciata. ​ ​ Threats to bees are: scaling up in agriculture, eutrophication, reduction of flowers, pesticides and competition with honey bees.
    [Show full text]
  • Beewalk Report 2020
    BeeWalk Annual Report 2020 Richard Comont and Helen Dickinson BeeWalk Annual Report 2020 About BeeWalk BeeWalk is a standardised bumblebee-monitoring scheme active across Great Britain since 2008, and this report covers the period 2008–19. The scheme protocol involves volunteer BeeWalkers walking the same fixed route (a transect) at least once a month between March and October (inclusive). This covers the full flight period of the bumblebees, including emergence from overwintering and workers tailing off. Volunteers record the abundance of each bumblebee species seen in a 4 m x 4 m x 2 m ‘recording box’ in order to standardise between habitats and observers. It is run by Dr Richard Comont and Helen Dickinson of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT). To contact the scheme organisers, please email [email protected]. Acknowledgements We are indebted to the volunteers and organisations past and present who have contributed data to the scheme or have helped recruit or train others in connection with it. Thanks must also go to all the individuals and organisations who allow or even actively promote access to their land for bumblebee recording. We would like to thank the financial contribution by the Redwing Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation and the many other organisations, charitable trusts and individuals who have supported the BeeWalk scheme in particular, and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in general. In particular, the Biological Records Centre have provided website support, data storage and desk space free of charge. Finally, we would like to thank the photographers who have allowed their excellent images to be used as part of this BeeWalk Annual Report.
    [Show full text]
  • Bumblebee in the UK
    There are 24 species of bumblebee in the UK. This field guide contains illustrations and descriptions of the eight most common species. All illustrations 1.5x actual size. There has been a marked decline in the diversity and abundance of wild bees across Europe in recent decades. In the UK, two species of bumblebee have become extinct within the last 80 years, and seven species are listed in the Government’s Biodiversity Action Plan as priorities for conservation. This decline has been largely attributed to habitat destruction and fragmentation, as a result of Queen Worker Male urbanisation and the intensification of agricultural practices. Common The Centre for Agroecology and Food Security is conducting Tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) research to encourage and support bumblebees in food Bumblebees growing areas on allotments and in gardens. Bees are of the United Kingdom Queens, workers and males all have a brown-ginger essential for food security, and are regarded as the most thorax, and a black abdomen with a white tail. This important insect pollinators worldwide. Of the 100 crop species that provide 90% of the world’s food, over 70 are recent arrival from France is now present across most pollinated by bees. of England and Wales, and is thought to be moving northwards. Size: queen 18mm, worker 14mm, male 16mm The Centre for Agroecology and Food Security (CAFS) is a joint initiative between Coventry University and Garden Organic, which brings together social and natural scientists whose collective research expertise in the fields of agriculture and food spans several decades. The Centre conducts critical, rigorous and relevant research which contributes to the development of agricultural and food production practices which are economically sound, socially just and promote long-term protection of natural Queen Worker Male resources.
    [Show full text]
  • WENTLOOGE LEVEL INVERTEBRATE SURVEY, 2019 David Boyce
    WENTLOOGE LEVEL INVERTEBRATE SURVEY, 2019 David Boyce DC Boyce Ecologist October 2019 1. INTRODUCTION This report details the findings of an invertebrate survey carried out under contract to Green Ecology. The survey aims to assess the importance for invertebrates of the area of Wentlooge Level shown on Figure 2.1 below. The site is in Wales, on the Gwent Levels; an extensive area of grazing marsh on the north-western side of the Bristol Channel. Wentlooge Level lies in the western part of this area, between the cities of Cardiff to the west and Newport to the east. A central grid reference for the site approximates to ST276817. The grazing marsh ditches of the Gwent Levels support a nationally important assemblage of aquatic plants and invertebrates. It also has one of the last remaining UK populations of the threatened shrill carder bumblebee Bombus sylvarum. For these reasons, much of the area is notified as a series of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The whole of the Wentlooge Level site lies within the Gwent Levels – St. Brides SSSI. Both the shrill carder bumblebee and the brown-banded carder bumblebee Bombus humilis, which also has a strong population on the Gwent Levels, are additionally listed in Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 as Species of Principal Importance for the conservation of biodiversity in Wales. 2. METHODS The first phase of survey work was undertaken in two blocks of two days, the first session being carried out on the 1st and 2nd of May 2019 and the second on the 22nd and 23rd May.
    [Show full text]
  • Bombus Terrestris) Colonies
    veterinary sciences Article Replicative Deformed Wing Virus Found in the Head of Adults from Symptomatic Commercial Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) Colonies Giovanni Cilia , Laura Zavatta, Rosa Ranalli, Antonio Nanetti * and Laura Bortolotti CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; [email protected] (G.C.); [email protected] (L.Z.); [email protected] (R.R.); [email protected] (L.B.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The deformed wing virus (DWV) is one of the most common honey bee pathogens. The virus may also be detected in other insect species, including Bombus terrestris adults from wild and managed colonies. In this study, individuals of all stages, castes, and sexes were sampled from three commercial colonies exhibiting the presence of deformed workers and analysed for the presence of DWV. Adults (deformed individuals, gynes, workers, males) had their head exscinded from the rest of the body and the two parts were analysed separately by RT-PCR. Juvenile stages (pupae, larvae, and eggs) were analysed undissected. All individuals tested positive for replicative DWV, but deformed adults showed a higher number of copies compared to asymptomatic individuals. Moreover, they showed viral infection in their heads. Sequence analysis indicated that the obtained DWV amplicons belonged to a strain isolated in the United Kingdom. Further studies are needed to Citation: Cilia, G.; Zavatta, L.; characterize the specific DWV target organs in the bumblebees. The result of this study indicates the Ranalli, R.; Nanetti, A.; Bortolotti, L. evidence of DWV infection in B.
    [Show full text]
  • Hoverflies: the Garden Mimics
    Article Hoverflies: the garden mimics. Edmunds, Malcolm Available at http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/1620/ Edmunds, Malcolm (2008) Hoverflies: the garden mimics. Biologist, 55 (4). pp. 202-207. ISSN 0006-3347 It is advisable to refer to the publisher’s version if you intend to cite from the work. For more information about UCLan’s research in this area go to http://www.uclan.ac.uk/researchgroups/ and search for <name of research Group>. For information about Research generally at UCLan please go to http://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/ All outputs in CLoK are protected by Intellectual Property Rights law, including Copyright law. Copyright, IPR and Moral Rights for the works on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Terms and conditions for use of this material are defined in the policies page. CLoK Central Lancashire online Knowledge www.clok.uclan.ac.uk Hoverflies: the garden mimics Mimicry offers protection from predators by convincing them that their target is not a juicy morsel after all. it happens in our backgardens too and the hoverfly is an expert at it. Malcolm overflies are probably the best the mimic for the model and do not attack Edmunds known members of tbe insect or- it (Edmunds, 1974). Mimicry is far more Hder Diptera after houseflies, blue widespread in the tropics than in temperate bottles and mosquitoes, but unlike these lands, but we have some of the most superb insects they are almost universally liked examples of mimicry in Britain, among the by the general public. They are popular hoverflies.
    [Show full text]
  • PETITION to LIST the VARIABLE CUCKOO BUMBLE BEE Bombus Variabilis (Cresson 1872) UNDER the ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT and CONCURRENTLY DESIGNATE CRITICAL HABITAT
    BEFORE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR PETITION TO LIST THE VARIABLE CUCKOO BUMBLE BEE Bombus variabilis (Cresson 1872) UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AND CONCURRENTLY DESIGNATE CRITICAL HABITAT Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee (top) male side (bottom) male face USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab Photo by Brook Goggins CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY April 27th, 2021 NOTICE OF PETITION Charles Wooley, Regional Director Deb Haaland, Secretary Region 3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990 1849 C Street NW Bloomington, MN 55437-1458 Washington, D.C. 20240 [email protected] [email protected] Leopoldo Miranda, Regional Director Martha Williams, Principal Deputy Director Region 4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1875 Century Blvd. NE 1849 C Street NW Atlanta, GA 30345 Washington, D.C. 20240 [email protected] [email protected] Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Wendi Weber, Regional Director Endangered Species Region 5 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 300 Westgate Center Dr. 1840 C Street NW Hadley, MA 01035 Washington, D.C. 20240 [email protected] [email protected] Noreen Walsh, Regional Director Amy Leuders, Regional Director Region 6 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 134 Union Boulevard, Suite 650 P.O. Box 1306 Lakewood, CO 80228 Albuquerque, NM 87103-1306 [email protected] [email protected] ii Pursuant to Section 4(b) of the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”), 16 U.S.C. § 1533(b); Section 553(e) of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Report for the Yellow Banded Bumble Bee (Bombus Terricola) Version 1.1
    Species Status Assessment (SSA) Report for the Yellow Banded Bumble Bee (Bombus terricola) Version 1.1 Kent McFarland October 2018 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region Hadley, Massachusetts 1 Acknowledgements Gratitude and many thanks to the individuals who responded to our request for data and information on the yellow banded bumble bee, including: Nancy Adamson, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS); Lynda Andrews, U.S. Forest Service (USFS); Sarah Backsen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Charles Bartlett, University of Delaware; Janet Beardall, Environment Canada; Bruce Bennett, Environment Yukon, Yukon Conservation Data Centre; Andrea Benville, Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre; Charlene Bessken USFWS; Lincoln Best, York University; Silas Bossert, Cornell University; Owen Boyle, Wisconsin DNR; Jodi Bush, USFWS; Ron Butler, University of Maine; Syd Cannings, Yukon Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada; Susan Carpenter, University of Wisconsin; Paul Castelli, USFWS; Sheila Colla, York University; Bruce Connery, National Park Service (NPS); Claudia Copley, Royal Museum British Columbia; Dave Cuthrell, Michigan Natural Features Inventory; Theresa Davidson, Mark Twain National Forest; Jason Davis, Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife; Sam Droege, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Daniel Eklund, USFS; Elaine Evans, University of Minnesota; Mark Ferguson, Vermont Fish and Wildlife; Chris Friesen, Manitoba Conservation Data Centre; Lawrence Gall,
    [Show full text]
  • Hymenoptera: Apidae)
    BUMBLEBEES IN PRIME LANDSCAPES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ARAN ISLAND BUMBLEBEE (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) Aislinn Deenihan, B.Sc. (Env. Sci.) A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, At the Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick, Ireland. Supervisors: Prof. John Breen, Department of Life Sciences, University of Limerick. Dr. James Carolan, Department of Biology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth. Submitted to the University of Limerick May 2011 Abstract The Burren region (inclusive of the Aran Islands) in western Ireland is an example of a prime landscapes that hosts internationally rare bumblebee species, such as Bombus muscorum . For the conservation and survival of bumblebees it is important to know nest-site and spring forage plant preferences. Hence nest habitat choices of spring bumblebee queens in the Burren region was investigated by observing their nest-site seeking behaviour. In spring significant nest-site seeking behaviour associations were found for B. sylvarum , with preferences for calcareous grassland habitat and scrub- boundaries. The foraging preferences of bumblebee queens in spring were also recorded with B. sylvarum and B. ruderarius foraging most frequently from Vicia cracca and Lotus corniculatus , respectively. Significant interspecies foraging differences were found between bumblebee species recorded in this study. A melanic colour variety of B. muscorum is found in the Aran Islands, and similar varieties are known from several other islands off the British Isles. Considerable debate has taken place over the last 70 years concerning their taxonomic status. The phylogenetics and genetic differentiation of melanic colour morphs within B. muscorum were examined using DNA barcoding. On dried museum and recently caught alcohol-preserved specimens a novel technique involving a modification of the Qiagen DNeasy PBS DNA extraction protocol for insects was developed to extract DNA from the museum specimens.
    [Show full text]
  • An Annotated Checklist of Bumble Bees with an Analysis of Patterns of Description (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Bombini)
    Bull. nat. Hist. Mus. Lond. (Ent.) 67(1):79-152 Issued 25 June 1998 An annotated checklist of bumble bees with an analysis of patterns of description (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Bombini) PAUL H. WILLIAMS Department o f Entomology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD CONTENTS Introduction......., ....................................... 80 Past lists of species........................................................................................................................ 80 History of discovery of species .................................................................................................... 80 History of publication of nam es...................................................................................................81 Summary of historical and regional trends in describing bumble b ees...................................86 Development of a revised checklist............................................................................................. 87 Acknowledgements............................. 88 Taxonomy............................................................................................................................................88 Phylogeny, supra-specific taxa and ordering of species............................................................89 Criteria to discriminate species............................................................................ 90 Sub-specific ta x a ..........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Crash Course in Bumblebee Identification
    CRASH COURSE IN BUMBLEBEE IDENTIFICATION © Gypsy Ray © John Breen © Ralph Sheppard © Úna FitzPatrick 2015 All paintings of bumblebees are © Bryan Pinchen How many species are there in Ireland? 14 true bumblebees 20 6 cuckoo bumblebees Some bumblebee species are cleptoparasites or cuckoo species. Like the cuckoo bird, cuckoo bees lay their eggs in the nest of another bee species (their true bumblebee host) rather than bringing up their own offspring It is easiest to identify bumblebees when they are foraging on flowers. In this case it can also be possible to take a photograph for later identification. If you have a (butterfly) net it can be useful to catch bumblebees and have a closer look by briefly putting them in a plastic tube or clear ziploc sandwich bag. This will not harm the bumblebee & is recommended for beginners. Mountain Bumblebee photographed in a clear plastic tube Irish net suppliers: http://entomology.org.uk TRUE BUMBLEBEE IDENTIFICATION IN IRELAND: When identifying bumblebees the first step is to check the colour of the tail TRUE BUMBLEBEE IDENTIFICATION IN IRELAND: © Rodney Daunt 4* species have a white tail 5 species have a red tail © Rodney Daunt 1 species has a ginger tail 2 species have a blonde tail In the Data Centre’s Bumblebee guide, species are arranged by tail colour – if you see a bumblebee with a white tail you can fan out those 4 species in the swatch to assist with identification http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/home-page/shop/ TRUE BUMBLEBEE LIFECYCLE Forage and find a nest SPRING Queen emerges from Prepares a pollen loaf and a nectar hibernation in early spring pot and starts laying eggs fertilised with sperm stored from previous year Mated new queen forages AUTUMN to build up reserves before Female workers emerge hibernation.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation and Foraging Ecology of Bumble Bees In
    Conservation and Foraging Ecology of Bumble Bees in Urban Environments Roselle E. Chapman A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of London. Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London & University College London. April 2004 1 UMI Number: U602843 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U602843 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ABSTRACT The decline of British bumble bees has been attributed to the loss of their habitat through the intensification of agricultural practices. In the quest for information of use to bumble bee conservation the potential of our flower-rich cities has been overlooked. The overall aim of this study was to determine the status and foraging requirements of bumble bees in the urban environment provided by the city of London, U.K. My principal findings are as follows. Six common species and three rare species were identified. The greatest diversity of Bombus species was found in the east of London. Garden and wasteland habitats attracted the greatest abundance of workers and diversity of Bombus species.
    [Show full text]