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PROJECTS

Research in 2007

Funded by grants from Natural England, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Hymettus initiated a number of new projects and continued its support for some projects from previous years.  

New projects included: 

East Anglian Wetland Aculeates

Odynerus simillimus Photo: T Strudwick

A suite of six species associated with East Anglian wetlands was identified, all potentially in need of further conservation action. Visits to nineteen different wetland areas in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk were undertaken from July through to September 2007 in order to identify populations for further ecological studies. Three of the target species, Hylaeus pectoralis, Macropis europaea and Odynerus simillimus, were recorded from a number of new locations as well as from established sites. No specimens of Anoplius caviventris, Passaloecus clypealis or Rhopalum gracile were found at any of the wetland sites visited. The full report is available for download as a pdf.

Southern Ants

A group of heat loving ants are associated with heathland or coastal habitats in southern England. The species included in the initial work on this group were Tetramorium caespitum and its parasite Anergates atratulus, Temnothorax interruptus and Temnothorax albipennis. An initial visit to sites in the New Forest found nests of Tetramorium caespitum and of Temnothorax interruptus and produced the first sighting of Anergates atratulus in over ten years. However, the main thrust of the work was at Dungeness where nests of Tetramorium and the two Temnothorax species were found. Some initial observations on the nest site preferences of the three ants and their responses to grazing pressure suggested avenues for further research. An edited version of the Dungeness report is available for download as a pdf. 

Northern Bees

Surveys for a suite of six bees (the BAP species Bombus muscorum and Andrena tarsata, also Andrena coitana, Andrena similis, Nomada roberjeotiana and Nomada obtusifrons) were undertaken at four locations across northern England. Three different fieldworkers surveyed the Peak District, the Lancashire coast, the Shropshire Hills / Welsh Marches and sites in Northumberland and Durham. The aims were firstly to identify sites that could be used in a monitoring programme looking at population changes associated with climate change and secondly to identify populations for autecological study.

Ongoing projects included: 

 Odynerus melanocephalus

Following on from research on the prey of Odynerus melanocephalus in Warwickshire during 2005 and Dorset in 2006, populations on the Isle of Wight and in north Wales were observed to discover if they also exclusively hunt larvae of the weevil Hypera postica. Larvae were collected from female wasps and now await confirmation of their identity.

Purbeck Mason Wasp Monitoring

As in 2006 a reduced level of surveillance of Pseudepipona herrichii was undertaken by the RSPB Dorset Heathland Project.  All known sites in Dorset were visited during the flight season but very few wasps were observed. One of the reasons for the low number of animals observed is likely to be the adverse weather persisting throughout a large part of the survey season.  The numbers on Godlingston Heath and Grange Heath appeared to be stable, while the site on the boundary to Slepe Heath showed a marked reduction in numbers. However, it is encouraging that the moth Acleris hyemana has once again had a good year and all present sites, many of the historical and potential new sites remain in favourable condition to support P. herrichii, even if there were none actually present.