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The Essex Naturalist
S. spinulosus von Hagen - RDB2
B. S. Harwood (1902b) records males at Colchester flying along hedges in the
hottest sunshine early in June and it is noted again for the Colchester district by
Nicholson (1928). It is a cleptoparasite of the scarce mining bee Lasioglossum
xanthopum. There are no recent records.
MELITTIDAE
SUBFAMILY MELITTINAE
Mining bees with a close association with the flowers of particular plants. Three
of the four British species have been recorded for Essex, but we have recent
records for only two of these.
Melitta haemorrhoidalis (Fabricius)
The bee forages on the flowers of Campanula. Nicholson (1928) notes the
species from the Colchester district, not common and only found where the
common harebell grows. There are no recent records and today Harebell is
uncommon in the county and rarely found in any quantity. Nettle-leaved
Campanula, is also rare and found in small quantity. The bee can occur in
gardens and it may survive somewhere in the county in this situation.
M. leporina (Panzer)
Nicholson (1928) notes the species from the Colchester district. There are recent
records for six localities in the East Thames Corridor; Dolphin Pit, East Tilbury silt
lagoons, Dagenham Chase, Grays Chalk Quarry, Linford Sand Pit and Mill Wood
Pit where it may be numerous around the flowers of vetches. It is recorded for
Wanstead Flats hy Hanson (1992). It probably occurs elsewhere in the county.
M. tricincta (Kirby) - Notable B
Pollen and nectar seem to be obtained almost exclusively from Red Bartsia
Odontites verna and there is a requirement for good stands of the plant (Falk
1991). Nicholson (1928) notes the species from Colchester, on Bartsia on
railway hanks. Searches made recently have found the bee to be present in nine
localities in South Essex at Woodham Fenn, The Cliff (Burnham-on-Crouch)
and in the East Thames Corridor. In some of these, for example at Grays Chalk
Quarry and Mill Wood Pit, it has been present in large numbers.
SUBFAMILY DASYPODINAE
Dasypoda altercator (Harris) - Notable B
= hirtipes (Fabricius)
Harwood (1884) records the species in the Colchester district at hawkweed
flowers and Nicholson (1928) also notes one on a yellow composite at
Billericay. There are recent records from six localities in Thurrock at Broom Hill
(West Tilbury), Dolphin Pit, East Tilbury silt lagoons, Linford Sand Pit, Little
Thurrock Marshes, and Mill Wood Pit. There are also records from Rainham