Records of violet carpenter bee in Worcestershire needed
Wednesday 16th June 2010
Worcestershire residents are being asked to report sightings of a continental bee thought to have arrived in the UK over the last few years.
A violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) has been spotted in a garden near Tenbury Wells, Wilts, and local naturalists would like to know if there are more populations in the county. There are a scattering of records of the bee in Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Kent and on the south coast. This is the first time the bee has been recorded in Worcestershire.
Steve Bloomfield, Conservation Officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, explained “This is a really exciting record as it’s a very rare insect in this country. It would appear that the species is one of several on the brink of colonising the UK from continental Europe, perhaps as a result of our changing climate.
“Despite their size these bees aren’t aggressive and are unlikely to sting – they’re harmless to people and breed in old wood of all types. While it is likely that bees found in the south of England are natural migrants that have flown the channel, it’s possible that inland records might have arrived in imported timber and have successfully over-wintered here.
“It’s really important that people across our county report any sightings they may have of this bee to enable us to monitor populations and build up a picture of their spread.”
The bee, the largest solitary bee in Europe at 25mm in length, gets its ‘carpenter’ name from excavating nest burrows in dead wood. They are relatively easily recognised with jet black bodies and a violet hue to their wings.
Readers are invited to send Worcestershire records to the Biological Records Centre at records@wbrc.org.uk. Records must be accompanied by a photograph and include species name, place name, location (postcode, gird reference), date and abundance (one or several).
Story by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust