Masses of bees - Andrena sp. mating frenzy?

Geoff F · #1 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 06:10 PM

In a field beside the estuary, S. Devon.

There is a track running across this field with earth banks about 1 ft high. For around 30 yards there were hundreds of bees rushing about in a total frenzy and crawling over each other to enter the burrows. I saw as many as 5 bees enter the same burrow one after the other and return after a minute or two.

I have never seen anything like this before. Were they desperate to mate or were they robbing the burrows of the larvae from another species?

Not really sure of ID either. I'm thinking one of the Andrena species but it is getting a bit late for anything that seems to fit. At least for anything that I can think of offhand.

So can anybody shed any light on this event and an ID.

tristanba · #2 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 08:45 PM

these are mating balls of Colletes hederae - they form when a newly-emerged female is mobbed by numerous suitors all desperate to mate with her!

for a short and excellent video clip see here (apologies for the external link)

Colletes hederae on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Geoff F · #3 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 09:18 PM

I have actually just come from that video clip via Bewars site where I was looking for something else and stumbled on what looked like a possible answer.

So thanks for the ID confirmation.

Apparently this is a rather recent species which is mostly found on parts of the south coast.

Just working through my photos and I do have a few images of mating bees.

I have never seen anything like this before. I was searching along this low bank hoping to find some Pompilid wasps, which I have found in this area previously, but was totally surprised to find hundreds of frantic bees.