Mediteranian Bee sighting in the uk

[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..