The Essex Naturalist
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including two northern species that would constitute New County Records,
several other NCRs and a record of the RDB1 (Endangered) cleptoparasite
Nomada guttulata from two sites in the Mill Wood Pit area, one doomed to be
lost to development and the other a very small area soon to be completely
surrounded by housing. Apparently the N. guttulata records were made in
August, a time when neither the cleptoparasite nor its host Andrena labiata (a
late spring/early summer bee) are flying.
Mining bees and cuckoo bees (Family Halictidae)
Lasioglossum nitidiusculum and the Nationally Scarce (Na) L. pauxillum are both
rare bees in Essex, with few records. There have been several new records for
both species. Adrian Knowles collected two males and two females of L.
pauxillum this year at Blackberry Fields in the Roman River valley and the
author found the species at Brightlingsea Marshes.
The RDB3 Lasioglossum pauperatum is turning out to be widespread in good
quality sites in the East Thames Corridor. This year the author collected a
female on the 21st May 1998 at Stanway Pit near Colchester, the first record for
North Essex since Harwood's time. The author also collected the RDB3
Lasioglossum quadrinotatum at Warren Lane Pit East, Stanway, Colchester on the
same occasion.
The Nationally Scarce (Nb) Lasioglossum puncticolle is widely distributed in
Essex in locations near the coast, particularly in flower-rich grazing marsh
grassland habitats. Adrian Knowles has recorded the species at a number of new
sites this year, including one site near Harlow an unusual inland site.
The Nationally Scarce (Nb) Lasioglossum xanthopum is another species rare in
the county, and usually associated with old flower-rich grasslands. Roger Payne
collected the species at Southend Sewage Works on the 4th June 1997 and the
species was present in numbers this year at Star Lane Brick Pits and along the sea
wall at Little Wakering and Barling, together with its Nationally Vulnerable
RDB2 cleptoparasite Sphecodes spinulosus. Males of the Sphecodes were present in
large numbers at Star Lane Brick Pits on the 14th and 20th May 1998 and at
Little Wakering on the 20th May 1998, the first Essex records since Harwood's
time. Adrian Knowles collected a female of the Sphecodes at Warren Farm Pit East
on the 21st may 1998 and the host Lasioglossum xanthopum on the 12th June 1998.
The very local cleptoparasite Sphecodes hyalinatus has only two previous
recent records in the county. Adrian Knowles collected one female at Emanuel
Wood (Chesterford Park) on the 30th April 1998. Adrian has also collected the
RDB3 Sphecodes niger and Nationally Scarce (Na) S. rubicundus at Walton Naze
this year, and Charles Watson collected two males and one female of the
Sphecodes niger at Little Chrishill on the 23rd August 1997. Another Nationally
Scarce (Na) species Sphecodes reticulatus has been collected this year by the
author at Barling and Rainham Marshes silt lagoons.