Invertebrate conservation charity Buglife is delighted to announce the discovery of two new populations of one of Cornwall’s most threatened bee species. A second nationally scarce species of bee has also been recorded in Cornwall for the first time in almost 20 years.
The Large Scabious Mining Bee (Andrena hattorfiana), previously known from only four areas in Cornwall, has been found at two new sites for its species, one near The Towans, and one near Rock. In addition to this a new site, also near the Towans, has been identified for another nationally scarce solitary bee – the Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta). The discoveries were made by local entomologist Paddy Saunders, as a part of Buglife’s North Cornwall B-Lines project.
Paddy Saunders, Kernow Ecology, shared: “I was really blown away to find new populations of both the Red Bartsia Bee and the Large Scabious Mining Bee. The finds were unexpected as on one new site the Large Scabious Mining Bee was last recorded almost 40 years ago, and the Red Bartsia Bee has not been recorded at all in Cornwall for almost 20 years! This gives great hope that it is possible keep these beautiful creatures in Cornwall but underlines the urgency and importance of the North Cornwall B-Lines project“.
Buglife’s North Cornwall B-Lines project has been working with landowners and communities along the north Cornwall coast; restoring species-rich grassland to benefit pollinating insects, and to help safeguard the future of some of the county’s most rare and threatened bee species.
The project has worked with local landowners to bring more wildflowers back to the Cornish countryside, and through a strong partnership with the National Trust has harvested and sown over 80kg Cornish wildflower-rich grassland seed.
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Posted On: 06/12/2022