My first outing of the current year was to Decoy Park Newton Abbot to see a colony of Clarke's Mining Bee - Andrena clarkella. I've seen individuals on the East Devon Commons but haven't been able to find any nests there, so back in March I decided to visit the Newton Abbot site to get some photos and hopefully some film footage too.
The site is on a north facing bank and so the bees often struggle to get warm enough to fly. They seemed to be attracted to the warmth emanating from my body and often landed on me to warm up, which was nice. There were also plenty of their nomad bee, the Early Nomad Bee - Nomada leucophthalma.
I have to visit Hartland Moor at least once a year, as I've said before, there is just so much to see if you like invertebrates. I managed to see three new species of bee and one new species of wasp (kind of... more on that later) along with most of the usuals.
Hartland Moor habitat.
Firstly, no trip to Hartland Moor in the summer would be complete without photographing the beautiful Silver-Studded Blue - Plebejus argus.
I didn't get very good photos of this which is an excellent excuse to go back next year. Like I need one!
Male Small Shaggy Bee - Panurgus calcaratus
Black-thighed Epeolus - Epeolus variegatus
This is a cuckoo bee which attacks the nests of Colletes species. In this case several were investigating the nest of a Hairy-Saddled Colletes -Colletes fodiensas the following video clips show.
FLIES
Mottled Bee-fly - Thyridanthrax fenestratus
Tessellated Bee Burgler - Miltogramma germari
WASPS
Neimela's Cuckoo Wasp - Hedychrum neimelai
Purbeck Mason Wasp - Pseudepipona herrichii
Seen here with caterpillar prey next to burrow.
Finally here's a video showing a Small Velvet Ant - Smicromyrme rufipes a species I was particularly on the lookout for. It appears on the right hand side and wanders across top corner of the frame. This occurred when I was in the middle of trying to get some video footage of bee nests, so it's just a case of a photobombing Small velvet Ant. They are very small, averaging just 6mm long and I didn't see it at the time, only spotting it when reviewing my video footage later. So really it doesn't count does it? Oh well, another good excuse for a return visit. What's not to like about that!
This common digger wasp preys on small species of solitary bee.
Sand Tailed Digger Wasp/Weevil Wolf - Cerceris arenaria.
This common species preys on weevils. Here it can be seen carrying prey to its burrow.
Flange-faced Weevil Wolf - Cerceris ruficornis.
A less common species which preys on small weevils and leaf beetles. It can be identified by its unusual strongly protruding clypeal mid-lobe.
Noble Cuckoo Wasp - Hedychrum nobile
A kleptoparasitic brood parasite of the Cerceris digger wasp species featured above. Here it can be seen investigating the burrow of Cerceris arenaria.
Sheildbug Stalker - Astata boops
A small black and red digger wasp which preys on sheildbugs.
Dull Cuckoo Wasp - Hedychridium roseum.
This beautiful cuckoo wasp is the kleptoparasitic brood parasite of Astata boops.
Plantbug Fox -Lindenius albilabris
A small black species of digger wasp which preys on plant bugs,a mating pair seen here.
Large Shield Wasp/Slender bodied Digger Wasp - Crabro cribrarius
The male wasp has a shield-like plant on the front legs, from which it derives one of its common names.
OTHER SOLITARY WASPS
Heath Potter Wasp - Eumenes coarctatus
Large Velvet Ant - Mutilla europaea
A very unusual solitary wasp. The female is wingless, a feature which gives it an ant-like appearance, and leads to its being called a 'velvet ant' and are well known for having a very painful sting. They are a nest parasite of bumblebees.
Tiger Beetle Wasp - Methoca articulata
This small, scarce species is another with wingless females that resemble ants. They search for the burrows of predatory tiger beetle larvae and allow themselves to be captured and because of their tough ball-bearing like thoracic segments they evade the beetle larvae's jaws and are able sting it. Once it's paralysed they drag it to the bottom of its own burrow, lay an egg on it, fill in the entrance and go on to find their next victim.
