Yes definitely very smart, and especially the females when not long emerged. I see the basket on the hind leg in yours looks grey, as I notice in my garden too. Here on the Escallonia. Thought they must have grey hairs, but think now it must just be the pollen choices.
Re the cliffs, yes very good territory and we're lucky to have an expert who visits regularly. I'm sure he won't mind me quoting his latest report (to the local Wildlife Sightings group' which gives a flavour:- I visited Brownwich Cliffs on June 26th to continue with the ongoing entomological survey of the site. On this occasion 37 species of bees and wasps were recorded. Of these three wasps were of particular interest and were the first records of the species for Brownwich:-
Hedychridium coriaceum. 1. A very small chrysidid wasp (the group sometimes being known collectively as jewel wasps or ruby-tailed wasps on account of their spectacular colouration). This species is a parasitoid of the small wasp Lindenius albilabris that also occurs at Brownwich. There are very few Hampshire records of coriaceum and, nationally, is a rare species.
Chrysis gracillima. 1 female. The smallest British species in the genus, first found in Britain in 1977 (a specimen fished out of a dyke in Kent!).
Crossocerus binotatus 1 female. A black and yellow-marked wasp that is rare in Hampshire, though there are sporadic records from Fareham, Winchester and the New Forest.
Others species of note were the second (summer) broods of the mining bees Andrena thoracica and A. trimmerana. The first of these was abundant, nesting in burrows on the cliff face and visiting several flowers, mainly bramble but also hogweed and a species of knapweed. This is moderate-sized bee, the thoracica hairs being a rich reddish-brown, the abdomen entirely black and appearing hairless. Both the spring and summer broods are identical in appearance. However, the these broods in A. trimmerana differ in several respects. In particular, the male of the spring brood has a conspicuous spine near the base of each mandible, though it is actually a part of the lower face. The summer brood lacks this feature. Some continental authors consider each brood to represent a distinct species though further evidence (at the genetic level) is required before a conclusive decision can be made as to whether there is only a single seasonal dimorphic species, or two."
ATB, Rhona
Linear Mode
