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 With Spring well and truly here with an outbreak of
warm and settled weather, it is time to launch the 2010 data gathering
exercise on Bombus hypnorum for the year 2010. As we approach the end of
May, we are about to experience the massive annual emergence of male Bombus
hypnorum, which will be very evident over the next six weeks or so.
As you may have read elsewhere, last year (2009) saw further spread and
considerable consolidation of Bombus hypnorum (see the end of year map). For
the second year running BWARS has collaborated with the Bumblebee
Conservation Trust in gathering data, and some 470 records were gathered in.
The number of occupied grid cells grew from 77 to 202 (almost a 260%
increase in occupation). Only 30 cells from which we received data up to the
end of 2008 had no repeat records in 2009. It is interesting to note how
rapid the spread has been to the north and east of the initial discovery
site. Spread westwards has been much slower and less dramatic, although I
received early reports of a sighting from Cornwall (our first 2010 map will
record this and other 2010 records).
Apart from the records from London and the Home Counties (where the bee has
been well established for several years), highlights included the first
Welsh records (from Cardiff and Barry) and the sheer volume of records from
Norfolk and Yorkshire. Also, for the first time, there have been a
significant number of reports coming in of active nests in bird boxes,
behaviour that was shown on BBC Springwatch in late May. I would urge anyone
with birdwatching friends to see if they might be able to be of assistance.
We are also linking up with the BTO this year who are promoting our
recording effort through their bird nest box monitoring scheme.
In addition to the information received from BWARS members, data also came
from members of BBCT, and the public via Google searches linked to the BWARS
site (backed up with photos), from OPAL (West Midlands), BBC Springwatch,
feature articles in gardening magazines, wildlife bloggers, The Natural
History Museum, county wildlife trusts and record centres.
It will be fascinating to continue to monitor both the spread and flight
period of this species over the next few years. When will the first records
from Scotland come in? Ireland too? Is the species double brooded
everywhere? Can B. hypnorum expand across the south west as effectively as
the north and east? This and many other questions depend on quality data.
Please submit records and photographs to spmr[at]msn.com
Stuart Roberts
May 2010
Photo: Nico Vereecken
STOP PRESS! Bombus hypnorum has been recorded in Iceland for
the first time. Typically marked specimens have been found in May 2010. This
remarkable observation is noted (although illustrated with B. pascuorum) at
http://www.ni.is/frettir/nr/1246.
Bombus hypnorum
was recorded as new to Britain in 2001 in Landford, Wilts. Since then, the
bee has spread rapidly, and is now quite plentiful, particularly in the home
counties, and increasingly, further afield. June is peak activity season for
this distinctive bumblebee, and BWARS has been mapping the spread since its
discovery 8 years ago. After a very successful call for records last year,
we have decided to run our campaign again. Any new records for 2009 should
be submitted to Stuart Roberts (spmr@msn.com) so that new maps can be
drawn. Records should include full details of locality, date, recorder and
identifier and, wherever possible, a photograph for verification purposes.
Updated maps will appear on the website as and when new records appear.
The 2010 records appearing in red. .
GOOD HUNTING - Stuart Roberts
For more information about finding this bee see the Open Air Laboratory
Bee Research
web pages.
It's
fairly simple to determine Bombus hypnorum - look for a bee with a ginger
thorax and black abdomen, tipped by a white tail.
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