40 The Essex Naturalist
The cuckoo bees Sphecodes are cleptoparasites on bees mainly particular species
of Halictus and Lasioglossum. There are now modern records in Essex for fourteen
of the sixteen British species. The Nationally Scarce (Notable B) cuckoo bee
Sphecodes crassus has been recorded during 1996 at a number of new sites across
the county. Males were taken at Alphamstone in July and August by Colin Plant
and myself, a single female was taken at Alsa Sand Pit by Colin Plant on 13th
June and single males were taken at Colchester by Jerry Bowdrey on 15th July, at
Thorley Flood Pound by myself on 26th July and at Little London by Charles
Watson on 12th October. The species was also taken in the East Thames
Corridor in May, August and September at Barking Levels, Gravelpit Farm Pits
and West Thurrock. The first Essex records of the Nationally Scarce Sphecodes
ferruginatus since it was noted by Nicholson (1928) appear to be one female
taken at West Thurrock PFA lagoons in August 1996 and one male recorded by
Raymond Uffen at Alsa Sand Pit on 16th September 1996. Females of the
Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Sphecodes longulus, a cleptoparasite of Lasioglossum
minutissimum, were taken during 1996 at two more sites in Thurrock at Gravelpit
Farm Pits and West Thurrock PFA lagoons. Females of the Nationally Scarce
(Notable B) Sphecodes miniatus were taken in May 1996 at Mill Wood Pit in
South Essex and Alphamstone in North Essex. A single male was collected on
3rd August 1996 at Warren Pit near Woodham Walter. These seem to be the
first times the species has been recorded in Essex. The Nationally Rare (RDB3)
Sphecodes niger has been recorded at four new sites, a single male at Barking
Levels on the 23rd July 1996, a single female at Alphamstone in August 1996,
one female collected from a sandy bank at Southend sewerage works by R.G.
Payne on 17th September 1996 and two males and a female taken by Charles
Watson at White Roding on 5th September 1996. The Nationally Scarce
(Notable A) Sphecodes reticulatus was fairly numerous at West Thurrock PFA
lagoons in August 1996 and a single female was taken at Broaks Wood in North
Essex on 17th August 1996, the first Essex record away from the East Thames
Corridor. One female of the Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Sphecodes ruficrus was
taken at Goshams Farm between Tilbury and East Tilbury in June/July 1997 and
numerous males and females were found by Colin Plant and myself at
Alphamstone in North Essex on 13th June 1996 where many individuals were
flying around one particular bank. The host bee Andrena labialis has been
collected at the site, but was not seen on this occasion.
Mining bees (Family Melittidae)
The Nationally Scarce (Notable B) Melitta tricincta seems to obtain its pollen
and nectar almost exclusively from Red Bartsia Odontites verna and the bee has
been found to occur at a number of localities in the county between the East
Thames Corridor and Burnham-on-Crouch where this plant is present. However
1997 seems to have been a very poor year for the species, at least in the
Thurrock area where I have not seen the bee at all.