Dawlish Warren: Bees

Bees

There are over 250 species of bee in Britain, mostly solitary bees, the more familiar bumblebees and various cuckoo bee species; a total of 53 species have been discovered in the Dawlish Warren Recording Area. It is anticipated that more species will be added in coming years. The peak time is between May and August when over 20 species can be found without difficulty. It is hoped that the following information will help in finding and recording bees on site. Please submit any sightings to the Recording Group and/or Devon Biodiversity Records Centre.

Some solitary bees especially cannot be identified with certainty without taking a specimen for examination, Teignbridge Council have unfortunately refused permission for the Recording Group to take specimens. The majority of these species have therefore been identified in the field or by using digital photography, some have however been confirmed from specimens taken by visiting entomologists.

Further information on identification and status can be found in Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland (Falk & Lewington, 2015).

Summary and photos by Recording Group member Alan Keatley.

Last update 15 May 2021.

Species

Colletes fodiens Hairy-saddled Colletes
Found at only a handful of Devon sites this late summer species favours Ragwort, as a consequence of ongoing Ragwort pulling it has become much scarcer on site, only remaining in numbers on Warren Point.

Colletes hederae Ivy Bee
First recorded in 2008, this species is now widespread on site, emerging with the flowering Ivy late summer.

Colletes similis Bare-saddled Colletes
Flight season from mid June to mid September, earlier than Hairy-saddled Colletes and two months earlier than Ivy Bee. Shares the same flowery habitat, but less associated with sandy soils than Hairy-saddled Colletes. Common in and rounded Greenland Lake.

Andrena ampla Water-dropwort Mining Bee
A Nationally Scarce species first recorded in 2018, this species is largely confined to SW England and is strongly associated with Hemlock Water-dropwort.

Andrena barbilabris Sandpit Mining Bee
Widespread across the site, this species favours areas of loose sand largely ignored by other species.

female/male © Alan Keatley

Andrena bicolor Gwynne's Mining Bee
A bivoltine species (two generations a year), the early spring population often seen on flowering sallows.

Andrena cineraria Ashy Mining Bee
A widespread spring species first recorded here in 2018.

Andrena dorsata Short-fringed Mining Bee
Another bivoltine species, the spring generation favouring sallows and blackthorn, the summer utilising bramble.

Andrena flavipes Yellow-legged Mining Bee
Bivoltine, the spring generation uses flowering shrubs but also Alexanders. The summer generation can be found on other umbellifers such as Water dropwort. There is a large colony on the car park roundabout.

Andrena haemorrhoa Orange-tailed Mining Bee
Another species that depends on flowering shrubs early in the year.

Andrena humilis Buff-tailed Mining Bee
Nationally Scarce B. Also known at the Cat's-ear mining Bee as it forages exclusively on yellow-flowered composites such as hawkweeds and cat's-ears. Loss of rabbits and increased summer mowing are likely factors in the lack of records since 2010.

Andrena labiata Red-girdled Mining Bee
A Nationally Scarce A species first recorded in 2018.

Andrena minutula Common Mini-miner
The commonest of the mini-miners, with two generations. Found in various habitats and can be encountered anywhere on site on shrubs and flowers in small numbers. Spring males have black haired faces and Summer males white.

Andrena nigroaenea Buffish Mining Bee
Often one of the commonest species on site.

Andrena nitida Grey-patched Mining Bee

© Alan Keatley

Andrena pilipes Black Mining Bee
A nationally rare bivoltine species heavily reliant on flowing shrubs such as sallows and bramble.

© Alan Keatley

Andrena scotica Chocolate Mining Bee
A spring flying species that emerges to coincide with blossoms of Blackthorn and Hawthorn.

Andrena trimmerana Trimmer’s mining bee
First recorded in March 2020, but possibly overlooked as closely resembles Chocolate mining bee, and shares same scrubby habitat. Has reddish markings on sides of abdomen. Two generations.

Halictus rubicundus Orange-legged Furrow-bee
First recorded on site in September 2020 on ragwort and fleabane.

Halictus tumulorum Bronze Furrow-bee
Long flight season and can be seen on a variety of flowers and shrubs. Likely common on site in flower meadows, but overlooked.

Lasioglossum calceatum Common Furrow-bee
First recorded in September 2020. With records from the Maer, Exmouth, this common and widespread species was clearly overlooked on site.

Lasioglossum lativentre Furry-claspered Furrow-bee

© Alan Keatley

Lasioglossum leucozonium White-zoned Furrow-bee
A common coastal dune species with long flight season, found on a variety of flowers especially hawkbits and fleabane. Males have white bases on hind tibia.

Lasioglossum morio Common Green Furrow-bee
A common and widespread species, first recorded in Apr 2021, presumably previously overlooked.

Lasioglossum pauperatum Squat Furrow-bee
An RDB species last recorded before 1970.

Lasioglossum punctatissimum Long-faced Furrow-bee
First recorded in 2019.

Sphecodes pellucidus Sandpit Blood-bee
A cuckoo bee of Andrena barbilabris, one of only two Devon sites

Sphecodes reticulatus Reticulate Blood Bee
A Natonally Notable A cuckoo bee of several late flying Andrena species.

Hylaeus communis Common Yellow-faced Bee
First recorded in June 2020, commonly found in various flowery habitats, nesting in old plant stems and beetle holes in wood.

Dasypoda hirtipes Pantaloon Bee
The female wears the trousers.

Osmia bicornis Red Mason Bee
A common resident of garden bee hotels, first recorded in 2019.

Megachile leachella Silvery Leafcutter Bee
A Nationally Notable B species often found in numbers along the Dune Ridge.

Megachile maritima Coast Leafcutter Bee
Can be seen in numbers around Wryneck Plain and the Dune Ridge.

Megachile versicolor Brown-footed Leafcutter Bee

A Summer species of flower meadows. Widespread in southern England . First recorded on site was in early September 2019, but possibly overlooked amongst commoner Silvery Leafcutter Bee.

Coelioxys conoidea Large Sharp-tailed Bee
A cuckoo bee of Megachile maritima.

Nomada ruficornis Fork-jawed Nomad Bee
A Cuckoo bee of Andrena haemorrhoa first recorded in 2019.

Eucera longicornis Long-horned Bee
A declining Nationally Notable A species. A male was recorded in the Back Meadow in June 2018, this suggests an undiscovered colony nearby as the closest recent sites are in Torbay and on the Undercliff.

Anthophora bimaculata Little (Green-eyed) Flower-bee
The shrill hum and green eyes of the male can be seen and heard along the Dune Ridge.

Anthophora plumipes Hairy-footed Flower Bee
A widespread species however the first record was not until 2019.

Bombus hypnorum Tree Bumblebee
First recorded in the UK in 2001, this species is now distributed over almost all of England but the first here wasn't until 2017, although as nests were observed at least two queens must have been present in 2016.

© Alan Keatley

Bombus jonellus Heath Bumblebee
Rediscovered on site in 2017 it remains in low numbers with no records at all in 2019.

Bombus lapidarius Red-tailed Bumblebee
One of the more regular species recorded on site.

© Alan Keatley

Bombus leucorum White-tailed Bumblebee
Now known to be a complex of three species, no DNA studies have been carried out on site but visual checks suggest this species.

Bombus pascuorum Common Carder-bee
Widespread, any brown species of bumblebee on site will be this species.

Bombus pratorum Early Bumblebee
A common species around flowering bramble and apple trees on site.

Bombus sylvestris Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee
A cuckoo be of Bombus pratorum.

Bombus terrestris Buff-tailed Bumblebee
The commonest species on site. Recent years have seen winter active nests around the Amusements.

Apis mellifera Honey Bee
No hives are kept on site, so those seen come from feral populations. The main prey of the Bee-wolf Philanthus triangulum.

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