The Essex Naturalist
27
Several individuals of the Nationally Scarce (Notable B) Andrena pilipes were
seen at Ferry Fields feeding on thistle flowers on the 23rd July 1995 and one
female of the related Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Andrena tibialis was found
on sallow catkins at Mill Wood Pit on the 7th April.
Males of the Nationally Rare (RDB3) Andrena proxima were found at Wood
Spurge flowers at the edge of Mill Wood, Mill Wood Pit, Thurrock on the 19th
and 22nd May 1995. The bee was present here in numbers in 1994 but has
otherwise apparently only been recorded in the county from Yardley Hill by
Mark Hanson (Hanson 1992).
Males of the Nationally Scarce (Notable B) Andrena varians were taken
around Blackthorn blossom at Mill Wood Pit, Thurrock on the 7th April and
14th April 1995 and one male was taken at Wormingford Mere, North Essex on
the 27th May. It is a generally scarce and local species which seems to have
declined over much of its range (Falk 1991).
Mining bees and cuckoo bees (Family Halictidae)
Females of the Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Lasioglossum pauxillum were taken
on a calcareous flower-rich bank east of Mill Wood Pit in 1994 and on the 19th,
21st May and 25th June 1995. The Nationally Scarce (Notable B) Lasioglossum
puncticolle has been found at a number of localities around the coast of Essex. In
1995 females were found in numbers at Ferry Fields on the 25th June and again
on subsequent occasions, at Fobbing Marshes on the 16th June and on the sea
wall at Old Hall Marsh, North Essex on the 23rd September. It was also taken at
Rainham on the 16th August by Colin Plant. The Nationally Scarce (Notable
A) Lasioglossum quadrinotatum (confirmed by G Else) was found in numbers at
buttercup flowers at Wormingford Mere, North Essex on the 27th May. I know
of no other records for the county and the species is not listed for Essex in Falk
(1991).
Males of the Nationally Scarce (Notable A) cuckoo bee Sphecodes longulus
were taken at the East Tilbury silt lagoons on the 22nd July and 1st August
1995. One female was taken at Mill Wood Pit on the 4th May. One male of the
Nationally Rare (RDB3) Sphecodes niger was taken at Dolphin Pit on the 1st
August by Colin Plant. This species is not listed in Falk (1991) for Essex and
may be a new record for the county. One female of the Nationally Scarce
(Notable A) Sphecodes reticulatus was taken at the East Tilbury silt lagoons on
the 1st August. This cuckoo bee is probably here a cleptoparasite on the bee
Andrena dorsata. Females of the Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Sphecodes
ruficrus were collected at Ferry Fields on the 25th June and further specimens
were seen on several other occasions. This cuckoo bee is a cleptoparasite of the
bee Andrena labialis, which was quite common at the site.
Mining bees (Family Melittidae)
Females of the large Nationally Scarce (Notable B) bee Dasypoda altercator were
collected at Dolphin Pit on the 1st August and 5 th September 1995 by Colin