24 September 2012

summer's over!

Well that's it then, maybe thank god for that after such a summer!

On saturday the Ivy hedge of the Old School House in Oxwich was alive with a fantastic variety of hoverflies, other flies, Mellinus arvensis in tens hunting the flies and butterflies including a Painted Lady. However, what I was much more pleased to see were at least seven Colletes hederae. The three I photographed were all males so I guess it's the very start of the season and the boys are out early to play and await the females.

If you feel like it and we get a good day a check of Ivy hedges, always a good thing to do anyway, might reveal other populations of this new immigrant. Also keep an eye out for mating aggregations which is something I would love to see.

Records should be posted here:

http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=content/colletes-hederae-mapping-project

and we'd like to know as well!


Colletes hederae male

Eristalis intricarius aka "the ginger nut"

1 comment:

Stuart Roberts said...

Didn't see and C. hederae in Cardiff this weekend (boo!). Don't forget to submit records via thye BWARS online recording pages at http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=content/submit-sighting-colletes-hederae-ivy-bee

Cheers, Stuart