Key facts
- Distribution in Scotland: Outer Hebrides, Inner Hebrides, Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll and Ayrshire.
- When to see: Mid-June – mid-August
- Status: Listed on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list and classified as rare
- Species on the Edge areas: Argyll and Inner Hebrides; Outer Hebrides
Species information
How to identify
The northern colletes is a medium-sized solitary mining bee. It has fox-coloured hairs on the upper side of the thorax and head and a black abdomen with a narrow white band on each segment.
Lifecycle
Northern colletes emerge in mid-June and mate soon after. The males will then die and the female constructs a burrow in which she will lay her eggs. Each egg is sealed inside its own cell with enough food for the larva to survive through the winter, before pupating in the burrow and emerging as an adult the following June.
Distribution
Most widely-distributed in western Scotland, in the Outer and Inner Hebrides, and in Ireland. Also found in mainland Argyll and Ayrshire. It also has two locations in Cumbria
Habitat and feeding
Habitat: Coastal sand dunes and flower-rich machair grassland.
Feeding: Northern colletes are polylectic (they will feed on a wide variety of flowering plants). Favourite plants include wild carrot, hogweed, clovers, wild thyme and sheep’s-bit.
Conservation status
The northern colletes is listed on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) list and is classified as rare.
Threats
The species is vulnerable to extinction due to their restricted and fragmented populations. Populations are threatened by loss of breeding and foraging habitat due to coastal development, changes to grazing regimes and climate change.
What Species on the Edge is doing
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Monitoring and surveying to find new populations and better understand the species’s needs, distribution and abundance
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Talking to landowners about small-scale habitat enhancements
Our work for the northern colletes
How you can help
Here’s some things you can do to help your local northern colletes:
🌼 Plant a seasonal flower or plant
Nectar-rich flowers and plants provide an important source of pollen for solitary bees, who are busy pollinating our crops and ensuring that plant communities are healthy. You can help by planting a seasonal pollinator-friendly plant in your garden, in a hanging basket or an outdoor plant pot.
🐝 Leave an exposed area of soil
Roughly 70% of solitary bees are called mining bees and nest in underground burrows up to 60cm deep. These burrows are often marked by small mounds of excavated soil. You can help by leaving an area of your lawn bare, or building a mound of sandy soil in a border or plant pot.
🏠 Buy or build a bee hotel
Cavity nesting bees, such as Red Mason Bees and leafcutter bees, require dry hollow tubes to lay their young. You can either buy a bee house or make your very own out of recycled materials.
🌸 Grow a wildflower patch
Although cultivated flower beds and baskets look lovely to humans, solitary bees much prefer long grass, wildflowers and nectar-rich dandelions. Allow a metre square patch of your garden to grow wild, sprinkling it with native wildflower seeds.
🗣 Spread the word
Talk about solitary bees in your local community group or with some friends over coffee. Or why not get creative and do some solitary bee-inspired artwork and share it with your friends, your community or on social media.
👀 Record a solitary bee
Get involved with a recording scheme, such as UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS), BWARS, or Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s BeeWalk scheme and record a solitary bee in your garden or local park. By taking part, you will be helping experts build their understanding of how solitary bees are coping with threats including habitat loss, pesticides and climate change.
Find out more on the Buglife website: Solitary Bee Week – #EarnYourStripes
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