A Solitary Bee

NATURE NOTES

Whilst Wenvoe has an abundance of wildlife it is noted for its rarities. However it is still, as far as we know, the only place in Wales where one particular plant grows. Mentioned in previous issues of Whats

On, this is the Spiked Star of Bethlehem, commonly known as Bath Asparagus which grows in one of our hedgerows. You can see it in bloom in June but the prominent flower spikes up to 3 feet long are still easily spotted throughout July. A survey carried out his year confirmed that it is well-established with  75 spikes visible on one side of the hedgerow and 97 on the other. Bees, as we all know, are an essential but threatened feature of the countryside. In addition to the Honey Bee, there are 18 species of Bumble Bee. Some of these are called Cuckoo Bees as they do not make their own nests but lay their eggs in the colonies of other bees. Then there are the Solitary bees of which there are 227 different species. The insect homes in Insectopia on the Upper Orchid Field have been well-used by Solitary bees. Keep an eye on the logs that have holes drilled in them and at times you will see the holes blocked with what looks like mud where the bee has laid an egg, deposited a dead insect as food for the larva and then sealed up the hole. The bee, empty holes and a filled one can be seen in the photo. And for the first time you could see in July one hole which appeared to have been filled with segments of green leaves. This is the work of the Leafcutter Bee which cuts oval sections of leaves from willows, lilacs and roses and then rolls them into a cylinder. This has an egg laid in it along with some nectar and pollen and is then sealed off with a circular section of leaf.