 Colletes hederae was
recorded as new to Britain in 2001 when Ian Cross discovered specimens at
Langton Matravers in Dorset. Since then, the bee has spread across much of
southern England, and is now extremely plentiful in some coastal localities,
and increasingly, inland. Peak activity matches the flowering period of its
key pollen forage plant, IVY (Hedera helix), and the species is on
the wing from mid-September until early November. This makes it the last
solitary bee species to emerge each year. BWARS has been mapping the spread
since its discovery 8 years ago.
Please submit records and photographs to spmr[at]msn.com
Read a summary of the 2009 mapping project
here |
Finding and Recognising Colletes hederae
Anyone with large stands of flowering Ivy near them should look for
this bee. Any largish Colletes visiting Ivy (often in large numbers) in
October is likely to be this species.
 Also,
you may notice large concentrations of this mining bee in soft, crumbly
banks and cliffs. Males may be seen in frenzied mating clusters as
they "mob" females emerging from their nests. So do check any suitable
localities.
You can watch a video of a Colletes hederae colony
here
Photos: by kind permission of Nico Vereecken and Jane Adams.
|
Look for bees collecting pollen from ivy. It's fairly simple to determine
Colletes hederae – It is a typical Colletes, but it can be as large as, or
larger than a honeybee, and the banding on the abdomen of fresh specimens
has a distinct orange hue. This fades in older specimens. |
