A Sharp-tailed Bee, but which one?

I have a regular visitor to my nesting leaf-cutter bees at present, a sharp tailed bee genus Coelioxys.  I think its either C. inermis or C. elongata.  I'm afraid without killing it I'm not in a position to confirm the I'd.  However a lovely bee and even though it has the job of a cleptoparasite of the leaf-cutters is a welcome and uncommon site here in Nottinghamshire.  Any hymenopteran experts reading this, if you can identify from the photographs then please let me know. 

Bad year for my Bees!

Osmia leaniana - Carlton Notts 30th May 2015 

Followers of this blog are probably aware of my love of all things solitary.  I like wandering around on my own, I'm quite happy working on my own and I quite like bees on thier own.  For that reason for several years I have encouraged solitary bees to nest in the garden.  At present 3 species use the logs and boxes placed on my south facing wall, the most numerous being Osmia bocornis, the Red Mason Bee, followed by a megachild leaf cutter bee, probably M. centucularis  and the smaller congener of the mason bee Osmia leaiana.  This year my mason bees have struggled, the males got off to a good start during that warm spell in April but just as the females hatched the weather turned.  However they are pretty hardy beasts and they quickly started nesting in available holes whenever the weather permitted.  This unimpinged nesting was not to last as a nesting pair of Great Tits discovered that female mason bees are rather tasty, or at least suitable food for their chicks.  They've taken them all,   and I mean all I have several holes half sealed and only a few complete holes.  Last year approximately 150 holes were filled, this year about 20. Still it might leave a little more room for the leafcutters, the first one to hatch of the year was waitng for a bit of decent weather today as was a male O. leaiana.  Both are photographed, I hope they have more look than the others. 

Leaf cutter Bee, Carlton Notts, 30th May 2015 

The allure of Fennel

If you like your insects then Fennel is most definitely the plant to grow.  I have a couple of plants in my small garden and both have reached about 8ft in height this year.   Not a problem until you want to photograph what's attracted to them, you end up pointing your camera to the sky, which in my opinion leads to awkward harsh light and a not too pleasing effect. Still I show a couple of real gems that have alighted this summer, a hornet, Vespa crabro, and the wasp/hornet mimic hoverfly Volucella inanis. I also get the whopping beast Volucella zonaria, in my opinion one of the UK's most spectacular flies.  Pictures aren't up to much bit a couple of insects on the northern edge of their british distribution ain't too bad. 

Hornet - Carlton Nottinghamshire, 01/08/2014

Big Hover', Volucella inanis. Carlton Notts 01/08/2014

Philanthus triangulum, the Beewolf.

Philanthus trianglum - Budby 28/07/14

No apologies for more images of this little beast, one of my favourite wasps, the Beewolf.  Same place as last year, Budby Heath. Only saw the one male which was far from camera shy staying in the same area, hovering a little and then settling on blades of grass. Not a lot happening on the heath today, a few Colletes Bees waiting for the heather to flower, a few Epeolus cuckoo bees.  Day finished poorly as I managed to lose a piece of the the net I use to catch and examine the odd specimen. No big deal really, but I've had that net for over 35 years and I don't much fancy a new one, it just wouldn't feel the same. I retraced my steps several times but didn't manage to find the missing bit.  Never mind its my birthday on Saturday, might treat myself to a new one, even though I had my eyes on the latest and just published RES handbook on Vespoid wasps. I'll probably get both if I'm honest.  

Beewolf, habitas photograph, Budby Heath July 2014 

Beewolf, spent most of its time flitting from one grass stem to another. 

And another habitas photograph of the Beewolf. 

First Leafcutters of the Year

I get the feeling that these Leafcutter Bees are a little earlier than last year here in a dull Nottinghamshire. I heard a bit of nibbling inside the hole a few days ago so kept an eye on when they might take flight.  Well the morning of the 31st May was maiden flight day.  Three bees left the same hole within the space of about 20 minutes.  What surprised me was the fact that the day doesn't seem that great, no sunshine when they took to flight, but reasonably warm.  Here's a couple of pics of them surveying the world prior to flight.

LEafcutter Bee, Carlton Nottinghamshire, 31st May 2014 - It's first look at the outside world. 

Best looking Flower in the Garden

Had to post a picture of this flower.  I think it's Tulipa saxitilis.  I planted these in the garden about 15 years ago.  They decide to flower about once every 4-5 years, but they're worth it.  They also seem rather attractive to my Mason Bees.  This is a nice fresh male taking a look. 

Anoplius viaticus and an unlucky spider.

One of the first pictures with new extension tubes, shocking composition but beetle is in decent detail. 

Back on Budby Heath today armed with a new bit of kit, a set of extension tubes for my macro lens. These will allow me to get in closer but also means that I have less depth of field, the lens only has about 2 mm at the best of times and also means I have to get closer to the subject.  Anyhow needed to give them a run-out. First out was a Tiger beetle,  difficult to get close enough to at the best of times, now I'm poking a lens a foot closer they're non too happy.  Couldn't for the life of me get a front on picture.  I then noticed a paralysed spider, this can only mean the spider hunting wasp Anoplius viaticus at this time of year.  They paralyse then go and dig a whole in which to put the spider.  A bit of patience and she returned. However in my excitement I failed to notice that I had removed the Vibration Reduction function on my lens.  Hence a slightly more blurry image than I would have liked.  The extension tubes also meant that at times I was wanting to move further away form the subject but was unable to do so. Finally a picture of a Tiger Beetle larva. I thought these might give some indication of how to use the extension tubes properly as the image was relatively flat, hence I should be able to get it all in focus.  Results are OK.  I need to work on  perfecting their use. 

Anoplius viaticus - forgot the Vibration Reduction function on the lens.  This would have made the image a lot better. 

As above, but not too bad. 

Tiger Beetle larva, a flat object, VR on and an example of the added detail you can get by getting a little closer to the subject.  

Ptinus sexpunctatus an association with Anthophora plumipes?

Ptinus sexpunctatus 14/04/2014 Stoke Weir Notts. 

Decent weather once more here in Nottinghamshire so another annual pilgrimage, this time to see a rather large colony of the Hairy Footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes. These bees are probably the most active bees I know, constantly on the move and very rarely settling for a rest.  The site in question is a clay bank just downstream of Stoke Weir.  Here regular falls of clay leave plenty of bare clay, an ideal substrate in which the Bees can burrow.  Also present were a good number of the Cuckoo Bee Melecta albifrons.  These regularly inspect the holes created by the hairy footed's in the hope of stealing their way in to lay their own eggs in the provisions left by their host.  The highlight was however not the bees but a tiny 3 mm beetle Ptinus sexpunctatus.  I spotted this little chap scuttling across the clay, so a licked finger and a slight press onto its body and the beetle was potted for later identification.  Ptinus sexpunctatum is normally associated with the mining bees of the genus Osmia, and to date I have not been able to find a published reference to its association with Anthophora. It is described in Joy (1932), the bible for British coleopterists, as rare, south east England.   A nice new find for me and a good start to the new season.  Also included are a few other photographs from the day, couple of decent studies of Melecta a photograph of the jumping spider Salticus scenicus and finally guess the animal the teeth are from.

Melecta albifrons Stoke Weir Notts 14th April 2014 

Melecta albifrons 14th april 2014, Stoke Weir 

Melecta albifrons Stoke Weir 14th April 2014 

Salticus scenicus with prey 14th April 2014 Stoke Weir 

Guess the animal? Skull found 14th April 2014

First of the Mason Bees and Bird photography with a macro lens!

Escape - Osmia bicornis male emerging from its cell - 10th April 2014 Carltom Nottinghamshire.

April 10th and the very first Mason Bee to break free seen today.  This is exactly 10 days before last years emergence here in my Notts garden.  By this afternoon a grand total of 3 males are buzzing around both my log and my £3 Morrisons supermarket "bee hotel". Photograph shows emergence of the second bee of the year, the first eluded the camera and left a vice neat hole in its sealed clay entrance. Can't get fresher looking bee than this.  Hopefully we'll have a good year as I have about 60-70 holes currently sealed by the bees last year and I 've added a few more holes as after a couple of years the Bees are a little reluctant to use previously used holes,  they do eventually but only after the clean holes have been filled first.  

same bee as previous photograph, giving me the eye! 

Now from this blog it is pretty obvious that I'm not the birding type, I like birds, I feed them in my garden and I've even been known to twitch,  once for a Great Grey Shrike and more recently a trip onto Budby Heath to catch the Parrot Crossbills, I was surprised at their size, I expected a bird a little smaller.  However the pair of birds that have given me most pleasure this year are a couple of Bullfinch.  I've fed Sunflower hearts for years in my small back garden and attract the usual garden stuff, but this year has been the first year that I have daily visits from a pair of Bullfinch, photograph of the female attached. Perhaps I'm a little odd but in my eyes the females colours are so subtle as to make it far more attractive than the male.  Taken with a macro lens through the window!  Not quite sure my missus would be too happy if a spent £5000 on a big telephoto.  Still when I can take all my pension as cash rather than an annuity I'll perhaps blow some on the Lamborghini of lens a Nikon 500 mm. 

Bullfinch - Carlton Nottinghamshire 10th April 2014.  105 mm Macro lens through double glazing. 

Vespa vulgaris awakes and a couple more early season spiders.

Vespa vulgaris Carlton, Nottinghamshire. 30th March 2014

Yesterday was a particularly nice day here in Nottinghamshire and would have been perfect for a spring walk.  Unfortunately I was on the second day of a two day trip to Birmingham Think Tank museum with 100 pupils from school.  This involves a "night at the museum" sleeping around the exhibits.  Fun for the kids but after getting into school at 7.00 am on Friday and still dealing with pupils at 01.00 am Saturday, the fun bit for me was wearing thin. However it's now Sunday and the weather although still warm is a little cloudy with only brief spells of hazy sunshine. Too knackered to go out so I pottered around in the garden.  A peak at the bee log showed no signs of emerging Bees but a fine Queen of Vespa vulgaris the common wasp.  My log has a large patch of working made by the lesser stag beetle and it was from one of these holes that the wasp was emerging.  A couple of minutes sunning itself then it was away.  Also noted on the house wall was a pretty little Thomosid spider about 3mm in size, sunning itself on the warming mortar. 

Carlton Notts, 30th March 2014. 

I wouldn't like to put a name to it as colour is not indicative of species and I didn't fancy dunking it in alcohol in order to check it to species.  A picture is included, any arachnid experts out there wish to make a more educated guess then me please feel free to let me know what you think it is.  I also attach another spider photograph this time of a male Alopecosa barbipes, a good looking spider encountered on Budby Heath a couple of weeks ago. Very pretty!

Alopecosa barbipes Budby Heath March 2014. 

Budby Heath in the Spring, Bees, and Beetles

Andrena clarkella Budby Heath 16th March 2014 

Last couple of weekends have been reasonable in terms of weather, hence a couple of early in the year trips onto Budby Heath, the only National Nature Reserve here in Nottinghamshire. One of the joys of Budby in the spring is the presence of the solitary bee Andrena clarkella. This is an insect that I often have difficulty in photographing, they have the habit of landing and quickly disappearing into its concealed burrow.  However this obliging female spent a couple of minutes sitting and warming itself on a wooden post.

Oil Beetle, Meloe proscabaeus, Budby Heath 16th March 2014

The main reason for the trip was to look for early season Oil Beetles. I'd had a report this year that they were out in the first week of March this year.  We weren't disappointed either with good numbers perambulating at their usual site and feeding on the grass. It was interesting to note that the males far outnumber the females so far this year, however a healthy number of females were on show this Sunday and already into the swing of mating (see photograph). I must admit that I have great difficulty photographing black beetles, a check on technique and methods for photographing black objects is needed here I think. Finally the Tiger Beetles were also out, though as yet in very small numbers. Still another lovely site this time of the year.   I've had Tiger beetle on the heath every month from March to October. 

Tiger Beetle, Cicindela campestris, Budby Heath 16th March 2014

 

Bombus terrestris on Christmas Day

Didn't think I'd be out in the garden photographing bees on Christmas day, but hey ho, down at my mother in laws with a naff camera for those indoor Christmas shots and I spotted movement outside, two bees, buff-tailed bumble bees to be precise, feeding on the Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger.  Rather poor photograph but come on, bees on Christmas day what a result.

Bombus terrestris - Christmas Day 2013 Gedling Nottinghamshire . 

  

Anoplius viaticus - Late October spider hunting.

Anoplius viaticus - 24th October 2013 

After a good few days of proper October weather, rain and wind, a return to calm conditions here in Nottinghamshire on the 24th October. Blue skies a little chilly but a walk on Budby Heath needed.  I go absolutely stir crazy once the weather breaks and we head on into winter. The camera goes away and I begin to do very little.  I like birds but they don't quite get me excited like insects, so even autumn and winter birdwatching is only second best to the invertebrates found during the spring and summer. Anyway back to my Budby jaunt, pretty warm but not expecting much in the way of insect life.  Good start with a late season Common Darter still on the wing, but my wife drew my attention to the pompilid wasp in the photograph, Anoplius viaticus.  These chaps are usually well tucked up by now in a burrow waiting for early spring when they are the first of the spider hunting wasps active on the heath however I was more than pleased to see this one out hunting in late October, it's actually made my week, sad I know, but I can't help it.  Due to the relative coolness of the day (16 degrees Celsius) the insect as well as hunting in its normal manner, running through the heather and dried grass, also took time to sun itself and give me time to get decent photograph or two. Hope you like them.

Anoplius viaticus 24th October 2013 

Late Season Pompilid Wasp

Spider Wasp with prey, Budby Heath 29th September 2013 

End of September and there are still insects of interest doing the business up on Budby heath.  On the 28th September Tiger Beetles are still active and in reasonable numbers. I'm of the opinion that these represent a 2nd generation given the continuous warm weather from April.  Most of the Hymenoptera have gone, there are still odd Colletes Bees foraging on what's left of the Heather although little is now left in flower.  I was however delighted to watch a late season Spider wasp.  These wasps, without taking a specimen, are rather difficult to identify to species level so I'm leaving the description as to the wasp as in the genus Evagetes or Arachnospila.   However, whatever it is they are rather interesting to watch dragging the paralysed spider around, disappearing to find an old burrow, returning to check on its prey and then off again.   Not a lot else around so late in the year but I did manage to get a couple of nice shots of a Common Darter.  They are always a little more obliging late in the season, probably not as much energy in them so are more likely to hang a round for a bit. Hope you like them, they make a nice large subject. 

Common Darter Budby Heath 29th September 2013. 

Common Darter Budby Heath 29th September 2013. 

Garden Spider

Didn't even have to leave the house to take this photograph of the garden spider Araneus diadematus. Opening the back door revealed this fine lady with a recently captured common wasp, Vespa vulgaris.   I find spiders quite difficult to photograph, they are deep in the body so depth of field becomes a real problem. They are surprisingly sensitive to movement and get themselves into rather boring poses that do not make interesting snaps.  However hope you like this one, most gardens should have one or two of these at the moment.  Needless to say the wasp well and truly lost, had its life sucked out of it and two days later its corpse was disentangled from the web and lying on the doorstep.  

Beewolf - Philanthus triangulum in Nottinghamshire.

Distribution Map for the Beewolf

The Royal Entomological Society handbook describing this species published in 1980 indicates the presence of a fluctuating population on the extreme south coast of England, with permanent colonies existing only on the Isle of Wight. However since this publication this stunning wasp has undergone a rapid and northerly expansion in range with records as far north as Yorkshire.  In Nottinghamshire the first record I can find is for 1996 when Trevor Pendleton found a small colony at Market Warsop.  My first encounter was a little fortuitous and in 2011.  I had been photographing several solitary wasps thinking they were either Mellinus arvensis or Cerceris rybyensis, both common at Holme Pierrepont. Only when I got home and looked at what I'd taken did I realise that one of the pictures was of Philanthus triangulum, the Beewolf.    It was not until my recent forays to Budby Heath that I've found it again.  This time on several occassions, however I have still not found where they make their burrows.  That'll give me something to do next year.    A bit of Biology, best month to see them August.   They make a hole approximately 1m in depth and provision this with Honeybee's that they capture paralyse and carry back to the nest. On the continent they are considered serious pests of hive colonies.  If you want to see them I suggest any site with decent honey bee numbers with suitable sandy habitat, so probably in and around sherwood.  The Holme Pierrepont example I saw in 2011 was on the site of the old gravel and sand yard.

Beewolf - Budby Heath Nottinghamshire 29th August 2013 

 

Ammophila sabulosa - Caterpillar Hunting on Budby Heath

I'll just let the series of photographs tell the story.   One unlucky caterpillar gets entombed alive on Budby Heath Nottinghamshire and  one impressive and stunning solitary wasp, Ammophila sabulosa gets to work. Surely one of best insects the UK has to offer.  If you click on an image you can see them in larger format. Hope you enjoy them, I certainly liked observing them. 

1. The wasp.  Ammophila sabulosa.  If it has a common name I'm not sure what it is and to be honest I'm not too bothered, just googled it, apparently known as the "red banded sand wasp". not very descriptive particularly when there are other wasps of similar appearance living in sandy environments.    Ammophila has to make a good job of entombing the caterpillar as other Ammophila will come along and steal the caterpillar from the hole and reintern in a hole of its own construction with one of its own eggs.  

2. Catch yourself a caterpillar and drag it several yards to a pre-prepared hole. 

3. Get to your hole and admire your handiwork. 

4. Admire your capture, Make sure it's paralysed. 

5. Give it a cuddle.   "It's actually positioning itself and the caterpillar" 

6. Final positioning - Lining the caterpillar up with the hole. 

7. Back yourself in, grab your prey and pull

8. Entombment begins. 

9. Reminds me of the old wartime reels showing a U-boat going down. 

10. Not quite sure how it gets itself back out past the caterpillar,  however as soon as its put the caterpillar in it starts to backfill. Notice the sand aggregate in its mandibles. 

11. A bit of back filling using its front legs to flick sand into the hole. 

12. Final tamping down - and a little visit from the bee Colletes succinctus to take a look at a job well done.