where I could find Red Bartsia in bloom in any quantity produced more
sites at The Cliff near Burnham-on-Crouch, Woodham Fenn at South
Woodham Ferrers, the scarp at Benfleet and Hadleigh Downs, Wat Tyler
Country Park (TQ7386) at Pitsea, Mill Wood Pit near Lakeside in
Thurrock and the meadows opposite Marks Hill Reserve (TQ6887) at
Basildon.
Megachilid bees (Family Megachilidae)
One female Stelis punctulatissima (Kirby) (det. J. Felton) was taken at
Field Scabious at Glemsford at the end of July 1992. This bee is a
cleptoparasite of the Wool carder bee Anthidium manicatum and
possibly also of Osmia leaiana and 0. aurulenta. It is widespread but
very local (Notable B) and has probably declined, with only about 20
post-1970 sites known (Falk, 1991).
Flower bees (Family Anthophoridae)
The Four-spotted Flower bee Anthophora quadrimaculata (Panzeri
(Notable B) is principally a bee of gardens and suburban waste ground.
It is very local but is sometimes common in gardens. There is post-
1970 information for only about 30 sites (Falk, 1991). It has a
•preference for labiates and both this species and A. bimaculata were
taken flying around Black Horehound at Chadwell and at Lavender in my
garden at Grays.
Nomad bees (Family Anthophoridae)
The very local (Notable B) Nomada flavopicta (Kirby) is a cleptoparasite
of mining bees in the genus Melitta. I collected one female at Grays
Chalk Quarry in August 1993, where Melitta tricincta was numerous
flying around Red Bartsia by the sides of the path that runs along the
top eastern and northern edges of the quarry. I collected one female at
Old Church Hill, Langdon Hills (TQ6786) and several females at the end
of August and early September at Mill Wood House Pit where Melitta
tricincta was again present. I had previously identified another
specimen from this site taken in 1986 by Colin W. Plant.
Nomada furcata Panzer is a cleptoparasite of the widespread but local
mining bee Andrena flavipes. Even at its established sites there can be
considerable fluctuations in its frequency and the species (Notable A
and about 30 post-1970 sites in Falk,1991) seems to have undergone a
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