Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum)
I occasionally spend my lunchtimes, chewing on a sandwich in the local city park wishing I was with my solitary bees in the countryside. By way of compensation I usually head towards the flowers checking for a buzz, and then spend minutes standing in front of them looking downwards with the ageing camera out trying catch pictures of the bees that live there – frankly, from behind I think it looks a bit weird, sad and lonely to other sandwich chewers, but I persist. It comforts me.
Well today it seems the persistence has just paid off – spectacularly even.
I had been tracking some bees that had bright yellow flashes down the outer side of their abdomens. For several lunchtimes there were at least four or more gathered around a group of flowers, appearing almost like yellow jackets/wasps or common hover flies in their colouration. They were pretty fast and even aggressive to bumble bees around – I had just no idea what they were…
Finally tonight I found a video from another solitary bee enthusiast and the penny dropped. I was in fact watching and taking very blurry photos of Wool Carder bees (Anthidium manicatum); I then remembered that I had caught on video a similar bee scraping plant stems probably (I thought) for nesting materials. After Googling for videos, I realised only one six second film exists on the Web (YouTube), and I had in my possession the (soon to be) first and only filmed moment published freely on the Web of a female wool carder bee, literally in the act of what has given the species their common name!
So instead of gushing and waffling on here it is (hope you like, and please do do comment so I don’t feel too daft):
A quick update – I captured a video of a male bee nearby some days later:
August 31st, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Very cool. I often stop to look at insects when I’m out and about and kind of wonder if people think I’m crazy. It doesn’t bother me enough to make me stop looking, though.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:02 am
Aww, thanks for the support. I find for the townies that don’t appreciate what an interesting world can lurk between the leaves, it’s difficult to explain… it’s certain more interesting than talking about the state of the weather at work. However, poor b**s they couldn’t shut me up the day after this post.
September 5th, 2010 at 2:04 am
great video!
I wish i filmed Agapostemon virescens i caught bathing in Morning Glory pollen…
BTW, your youtubes have inspired me to provide some hogweed for mason bees. I wonder if they would nest in early September. It’s still hot outside….
September 9th, 2010 at 12:20 am
Hi Eugene – thanks for your comments.
Glad that you’ve drawn inspiration from my films… Yes, Hogweed is great when it is dried, also Japanese Knotweed – considered an invasive weed by many, but perfect for nesting tubes.
As for your wondering if they’d nest in September – I gather it was a bit tongue in cheek (an you know your bees better than I)… however to be clear to any others who may read this, as the variety of bees species (especially the reported 20,000 solitary bees) and insects is down to their co-evolution with specific plants and flowers and nesting habitats, to see a particular species at a certain time certain conditions need to come together – accessible food, consistent temperatures, nesting materials and safe habitats.
For example, my main population of Mason bees (Osmia cornuta) have evolved to emerge with fruit tree blossoms – plums and cherry trees especially. The population found their safe habitat in the brick walls because of the type sandy mortar used in the farmhouse buildings of the village, along with the planting of fruit trees by the farmers. Correspondingly they only emerge once a year with the spring blossoms – the adults fly and nest over a variable six-week period in March to May when above 15°C, they locate wet mud sources, and lay eggs on pollen and nectar stocks (that they have deposited in tunnels) and then seal the cells. The eggs hatch within a matter of days. These larvae feed on the ‘bee bread’ left by the nesting females, and within four weeks (early as June) when their food stock is eaten, will spin white silk cocoons . These moist cocoons eventually darken and dry to a light brown colour (probably from the surrounding excrement in the cell). They metamorphose from larvae to young bee inside the cocoon and emerge as adults in the spring of the following year. In Northern hemisphere climates, most solitary bees only have a yearly cycle, although I have read somewhere that some species may have two.
As we have seen from when I filmed the Wool Carder Bee (5 weeks ago), their flying period is in July because of the flowers (lavender, Globe Thistle Echinops Ritro etc.) that they prefer/have co-evolved with. I am not sure that because of the ‘wool’ that the females gather that they could be classified as mason bees even if they do use or excavate tunnels. Another example of adaptability to the environment would be leaf-cutter bees which exist later in the spring and into the summer, and corresponding use leaves of roses and other plants to create their cells and seal their tunnels.
So to have a population of solitary bees in September, there needs to be a combination of the right flowers (year in year out) that match their feeding apparatus, consistent temperatures (I note that bees tend to get smaller as the temperature rises, what scientists call surface-area-to-volume-ratio issues), and the right nesting habitats.
So.. as to whether there is sufficient and consistent availability of wet mud for the mason bees late in the summer is questionable. However I do hope you do see other bees around.
September 11th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
hey, nice blog…really like it and added to bookmarks. keep up with good work
November 11th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Very interesting site… its nice to see that there is an interest in other bees as well. Hope you also like my blog on bumble bees.
http://bumblebeegr.blogspot.com/
Keep the good work going!!!
April 4th, 2011 at 3:34 am
Noooooooooooo, you’re not daft. I love your enthusiasm and knowledge and your generosity in sharing your experience and videos with us.
Thanks!
Jess
June 3rd, 2011 at 8:53 pm
I enjoy your videos and thank you for sharing your knowledge!