The Essex Naturalist 99
particular interest because of the occurrence there of the heathland bee Colletes
succinctus and its cleptoparasite Epeolus cruciger (coll. in 1990 by L Clemans and
in 1997 by the author) and several dune species including a huge population of
the Silvery leaf-cutter bee Megachile leachella, a rare chrysid wasp Cleptes
nitidulus, and a rare spider Synageles venator. Unfortunately both the Barking and
Thamesmead sites will be lost to developments in the near future.
Threats
Not threatened.
Formica rufa L.
National status Local County status Essex Local
Frequency Ratio 2.6 Tetrad Percentage 1.8%
Recorded 1km sq. percentage 5.2%
Distribution
The Wood ant has probably always been very localised in Essex, but the
cessation of coppicing in many woods seems to be responsible for its almost
complete disappearance from north-east Essex, where there are old records held
by the Colchester Natural History Museum for Manwood Bridge about 1975,
Weeleyhall Wood (1980, Kate Hawkins) together with an undated
andunlocalised record for TL93. J Bowdrey failed to locate the species in
Weeleyhall Wood in 1993, noting that conditions appeared rather overgrown
compared to its South Essex sites (pers. comm.). Barrett (1979) shows pre 1961
records for TL93 and TM13 which may originate in Suffolk.