Mediteranian Bee sighting in the uk

[eucera]

Originally Posted by violetcarpenterbee

I went up to the tree stump today at 3pm. while I was there I saw 2 bees return to the tree trunk, why have I not pics. you might ask, the reason being they fly in and go into the holes in no time at all and disapear, not giving me time to lift the camera focus in and take a picture, at the moment there are not many flowers out for them to settle on but I will keep trying to get some pics.

Lets hope the better weather that is forecast for the next couple of days prizes them out, and that you are able to get some good pics

Originally Posted by violetcarpenterbee

as I am now certain that they are violet carpenter bees after looking at other pictures on this thread.

This is the area where we should remain cautious. Assuming these ARE Xylocopa (and the evidence suggests they might well be) and X. violacea is the most likely suspect, it is by no means the only one. As alluded to above, X. valga (widespread but rare in Europe) is virtually indistinguishable from X. violacea. We also have to bear in mind the possibility that it may be an alien species of some sort. It is only a handful of years ago that Steve Falk found X. virginica (from USA) flying around in Warwickshire, presumably brought in with wooden packing cases by the US military in the area.

I believe your part of Leicestershire is an important national hub in the road haulage industry, and there are large numbers of wooden pallets (of uncertain origin) in various transport yards around the area. So perhaps.... bees could have come from virtually anywhere.

Lest see what the next couple of days brings, and then perhaps it might be time to get one of our BWARS team to come and have a good look (We have a committee member who works in Leicester)

Best of luck with this! Stuart

[violetcarpenterbee]

still trying to get pictures of bees,I did not see them at the weekend but the weather was pretty awful. in answer to Steves questions, I suppose the part of leics. I live in could be considered as a central hub for lorries etc. as it is very close to the M1 and there are several lorry parks in the area also it is about 3 miles as the bee flies to east midlands airport which does vast amounts of freight.I would also welcome any expert on bees to come along and have a look,,
regards
Derick

[violetcarpenterbee]

Bees update
Their has not been any activity this week due to to the awlful weather, but the bees will be active again when it reaches about 12c and the sun is shining.Stuart has aranged for a bee expert to come and vist the site to comfirm the identity of the bees,This of course will have to be on a nice day so that the bees will be tempted out.
Hoping for good weather
Derick.

[aeshna5]

Thanks for update- this episode is rivetting- let's hope the outcome is positive- keep us posted!

[violetcarpenterbee]

Finally I have some pictures!!!

Click on the following links to see what I've been on about for the last month or so, lets hope these are clear enough to get confirmation from. I took these this morning 03/03/07

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb1.jpg

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb2.jpg

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb3.jpg

I have got a expect in this area comming today to take a look so will keep you all posted on the findings.

Derick.

[nightshade]

Good pictures of a fascinating bee,just in time I think it is going to be very wet tomorrow

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by violetcarpenterbee

Finally I have some pictures!!!

Click on the following links to see what I've been on about for the last month or so, lets hope these are clear enough to get confirmation from. I took these this morning 03/03/07

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb1.jpg

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb2.jpg

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb3.jpg

I have got a expect in this area comming today to take a look so will keep you all posted on the findings.

Derick.

Well done Derick- they look clearly like a Xylocopa species to me- it will be interesting to see which species the expert says they are.

[eucera]

Well Done Derick

I can confirm that the pics you have posted are CERTAINLY Xylocopa.

Now to the species determination: Studying Photo #2 (the clearest) at FULL SIZE, I am pretty certain that the preapical antennal segments (ie segments 11 & 12) appear to be reddish brown (or at least pale) rather than black. This would confirm that the species is indeed Xylocopa violacea, and that the specimen you have photographed is a male.

I look forward to Lizzy's report!

Well done, Sir. This is certainly the first ever confirmed breeding of this species in UK, and the first ever over-wintering. The only thing we can't be sure of is how the beasties got to you, and I doubt we will ever know that. One thing is for certain, increasing numbers are making it here under their own steam every year.

I look forward to seeing more pics.

Stuart

[violetcarpenterbee]

Hi
I am very pleased we managed to get some pics. of the bees at last.On sat. afternoon I was visited by Lizzy Peat a bewars commitee member who was highly delighted to see the bees,what a charming person she is and a credit to the organization she represents. I would like to thank Lizzy & Stuart for helping me identify these wonderful bees.as the bees stay out longer and settle on the flowers I will endeaveor to get some more pics.
Best regards
Derick.

[aeshna5]

What a happy ending. You realise Derrick you've made British entomological history with your bees- well done for this story unfolding on WAB.

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

What a happy ending. You realise Derrick you've made British entomological history with your bees- well done for this story unfolding on WAB.

yes, well done Derrick and well done to the entomologists who have helped him. I've been following this story with interest. I wonder if this is a species a few more of us might be spotting in the years to come.

Matt

[od0man]

Has Lizzy confirmed that these bees are indeed X. violacea?
Cheers,
Steve.

[eucera]

Lizzy has seen the bees and confirmed that they are Xylocopa. Lizzy was unable to catch one for close scrutiny or get close enough to see the antennae for herself. She will be returning in April for another look, accompanied by another Leicester BWARS member.

However, I have looked long and hard at the pics (number 2 is easily the clearest) and so has Nigel Jones, and we are satisfied that the preapical antennal segments (11-12) are reddish (and therefore paler) than the rest of the antenna. This marks the specimen that is in the pic as a male X. violacea. Both Nigel and I have considerable experience of the species (I have seen thousands, literally), and we are quite happy that this determination is sound.

Stuart

[od0man]

That's brilliant Stuart! In an effort to see what you were talking about I took the liberty of copying that image to my photoshop, cropped and enhanced it - and sure enough even I could see the paler segments.
As others have said, I imagine there will be no way of determining whether they arrived naturally or as 'pallet escapes'. Is there any potential conflict with native bee species or do they have their own unique niche?
Cheers,
Steve.

[od0man]

Hi Derick, have you managed to get any more pics of your bees yet. If so I'd love to see them.
Cheers,
Steve.

[Wild-Woman]

This has been an interesting detective story and a great thread. Very enjoyable. I have a question. Will this make Derrick's garden a SSSI?
Jules

[eucera]

Check out tomorrow's (Saturday 17 March) INDEPENDENT newspaper. A little birdie as told me that a certain bee may well be featured therein.

As far as SSSI's go... no chance!

Stuart

[Lammergeier]

Originally Posted by violetcarpenterbee

Finally I have some pictures!!!

Click on the following links to see what I've been on about for the last month or so, lets hope these are clear enough to get confirmation from. I took these this morning 03/03/07

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb1.jpg

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb2.jpg

http://www.constella.co.uk/bees/wcb3.jpg

I have got a expect in this area comming today to take a look so will keep you all posted on the findings.

Derick.

Wow, what a beautiful creature!!! You must be fairly close to Lutterworth, where I grew up... Leicestershire really is a great place for wildlife. Where all my enthusiasm sprang from as a lad! Great hedgerow country...

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by eucera

Check out tomorrow's (Saturday 17 March) INDEPENDENT newspaper. A little birdie as told me that a certain bee may well be featured therein.


Stuart

Oh goody! guess what paper I'll be getting this morning!

[eucera]

Well... the eagle has landed. At least, that is what readers of today's INDEPENDENT (Sat 17 March) might think Xylocopa violacea is if you attach any credence to the sizes quoted, or alluded to, in the article! Independent Online Edition > Wildlife

I did a quick "beer-mat" calculation on the relative sizes using the illustrations on page 11, and the Xylocopa looks to be exactly twice as long as the queen B. terrestris (i.e. about 46mm in length!!!), and would have a wingspan at around 100mm. This would make it the largest bee species on the planet, outstripping the real champion (Chalicodoma pluto) by a whopping 6mm in length, and no less than 35mm in wingspan!

I was also impressed, with some of the information published around this story. Most obviously, the bees do not "lumber" in flight (as anyone who has ever seen, or tried to catch, Xylocopa will readily testify).

Some of the other parts of the article were also inaccurate, and one piece was dreadfully muddled:
1) Dolichovespula media arrived in 1980 and not 2000
2) Philanthus triangulum is NOT a recent colonist - It has been here for at least 180 years (ie since records began), and there is a continuum of records from Totland bay on the Isle of Wight since 1851
3) Bombus humilis is NOT a recent colonist in the UK which has taken up residence in the Thames corridor. There is a complete confusion between the recently arrived Bombus hypnorum, and the BAP listed (but native) B. humilis, which is found on brownfield sites in the Thames corridor (and elsewhere in southern England and South Wales), and is key part of Buglife's campaign to resist unrestricted development in the region

However... a HUGE pat on the back to Derick and his family... and to Lizzy (they can't spell her name correctly either!)

It's always a pity when a journalist's desire to make a good story means that the facts get sidelined. I am often left wondering how many inaccuracies there are underlying stories on topics on which I do not have inside information!

[Wild-Woman]

Aside from some of the inaccuracies, I'm very pleased that the Independent gave the story and photograph a deservedly decent sized coverage, not a pokey little column. Two full pages! Wow!

Well done to Derrick and his family. Does make you wonder what's on it's way here next!

Jules

[margorie]

Hi, I read the article in the Independent yesterday and immediately thought of a visit I had a few weeks ago for what I am now fairly sure what a violet carpenter bee. I'd never seen anything like it and was really baffled. As soon as I saw the article, I though "that's the fella!". I am in south east London.

[eucera]

Originally Posted by margorie

Hi, I read the article in the Independent yesterday and immediately thought of a visit I had a few weeks ago for what I am now fairly sure what a violet carpenter bee. I'd never seen anything like it and was really baffled. As soon as I saw the article, I though "that's the fella!". I am in south east London.

I think this intriguing message takes us right back to the start of this thread, some 7 weeks ago!

X. violacea is sufficiently unusual in occurrence, and sufficiently similar in flight to large queen bumblebees (also around in big numbers in early March), that good provenance would be required before accepting records as genuine. This would be very similar to the "Rare Birds Committee" for the vetting and accepting records of vagrants etc.

Incidentally, the photo in the Independent was not of one of Derick's bees, but from a photo library. Lizzy told me that Derick's bee just sat in a hole and glared at the photographer.

Cheers, Stuart

[margorie]

Hi Stuart,
The bee was in my flat for about an hour and I got quite a good look at it, not just in flight but buzzing (very noisily!) at the window. Of course, I'm not at all sure that it was a violet carpenter bee, but I really don't think it looked like a queen bumble bee. I'd never seen anything like it!
Margorie

[violetcarpenterbee]

Hi All
Looks like we have caused some excitment with the bees,they are not as big as the Independant made them ouy to be, we have radio leicester coming on wed. morning at 8.15 a.m. they will not see any bees at that time, but then again it is radio we shall have to make a buzzing sound for sound effects also a local paper is coming named the Ashby Times, we have also had a note put through our door while we where out from the daily mail wanting to pay us a vist, I will pass this on to lizzy, she is doing a fine job handling the press and acting as an unpaid secretary. I still have not managed to get any more pictures yet, but as the weather is this week I think the bees will stay tucked up in their tree trunk
Best regards
Derick..