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The Essex Naturalist
Mining bees and Yellow-faced bees (Family Colletidae)
Females of the Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Margined Colletes Colletes
marginatus were present at the edge of the East Tilbury silt lagoons, flying around
Yellow Melilot on the 7th and 20th July 1995. This seems to be the first record
of the species for South Essex.
Males and females of the Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Hylaeus cornutus
were taken on Wild Carrot flowers at Dolphin Pit, Thurrock on the 11th and
22nd July 1995. Two males and two females collected from Umbellifer flowers
near Elsenham Sand Pit on the 28th June appear to be the first record for
North Essex. One female of Hylaeus pectoralis was collected from bramble
blossom at Horsey Island, North Essex on the 8th July. The species seems to
have otherwise only been found in the county in 1986 when a number of males
and females were taken by M Edwards, G Else and K Guichard at Rowhedge
near Colchester (pers. comm. G Else). The Nationally Scarce (Notable B)
Hylaeus signatus, out largest yellow-faced bee, is closely associated with Reseda
flowers. It has proved to occur at several sites in the East Thames Corridor and
in 1995 one male was found at East Tilbury on the 20th July and a number of
females were present at Little Thurrock Marshes on the 29th July and
subsequent occasions. One female was also found at Elsenham Sand Pit, North
Essex on the 28th June.
Mining bees (Family Andrenidae)
One female of the Rare (RDB3) Mining bee Andrena florea was taken at Ferry
Fields on the 29th June 1995 from a south-west-facing clay bank at the side of a
drainage ditch where it was nesting. The bee has an obligate association with
White Bryony from which the females collect pollen. The plant has not been
recorded from the site and is unlikely to occur there but it certainly occurs less
than two kilometres away. This highlights the importance of the retention of a
mosaic of habitats to our invertebrate fauna and the danger to populations
caused by the increasing degradation and fragmentation of habitat that
continues to take place.
Two females of the Rate (RDB3) Andrena hattorfiana were seen near
Glemsford Pits, North Essex on Field Scabious flowers on the 25th July 1995 but
this large handsome bee was much scarcer than in 1992 and 1994. This is the
only known site in the county since old records for the Colchester area dating
from the turn of the century. It presumably represents a relic population but is
very small and vulnerable to loss of its pollen source which is now rare in the
county and occurs here in very limited quantity.
Three males and one female of the Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Andrena
labiata were taken during the Field Club meeting at Galleywood Common,
South Essex on the 14th May 1995. The bee was foraging at Stellaria flowers
although its main pollen source is normally Germander Speedwell which was
not seen at the site.